Application 704

Aircraft Control Column Torque Measurement

Application Summary

Flight controls require extreme auditing prior to in-flight use. FUTEK's MBA500 Torque and Thrust Biaxial Sensor provides quality assurance engineers with the appropriate tools to monitor the torque applied to an aircraft's control column (yoke).

Products in Use

FUTEK Torque and Thrust Biaxial Sensor (MBA500) paired with Instrumentation (IAA Series Analog Amplifier, IPM650 Panel Mount Display, IHH500 Hand Held Display, and USB Solution).

How it Works

Pilots rely heavily on the control column (yoke) to guide the pitch and roll of a plane. By rotating the yoke, a pilot maneuvers on the roll axis. By propelling the yoke forward and backward, that pilot can adjust the elevation and pitch axis.
To ensure that the control column is operating properly, quality assurance engineers can install FUTEK's MBA500 Torque and Thrust Biaxial Sensor into the yoke.
The MBA500 performs measurements in both the Mz (the roll) and Fz (the pitch) directions.
These torque and thrust measurements can be read upon a digital display, such as FUTEK's IPM650 Panel Mount Display or IHH500 Hand Held Display, or streamed to a PC utilizing FUTEK's USB Solutions.
Once streamed to a PC, that data can then be monitored by FUTEK's SENSIT™ Test and Measurement Software.