fly-by-light

fly-by-light

A type of flight-control system where input command signals are sent to the actuators through the medium of optical-fiber lines. The feedback from the control surfaces and other systems is routed in a similar way. The inputs from the control column, aircraft control surfaces, and other data, such as static and dynamic pressure and angle of attack, are fed into a computer connected to fiber-optic lines. The computer then provides data for movement of the aircraft control surfaces through these cables.

An Illustrated Dictionary of Aviation Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved