Primary flight control design for a 4-seat electric aircraft

Abstract: This thesis work is part of a design process which aims to develop a four-seathybrid-electric aircraft at Smartflyer (Grenchen, Switzerland). In that scope,various mechanisms of the plane had to be developed, including the systemactuating the control surfaces. The objective of this thesis work is to designthe primary flight controls which will be implemented in the first prototypebuilt at Smartflyer.Firstly, the work investigates the calculation of the aerodynamic loads appliedto the control surfaces through the use of three different methods which areanalytical calculations, VLM analysis and CFD simulation. Then, the workconsists in defining the kinematic mechanisms of the flight control to handlethe deflection of the horizontal stabiliser, the ailerons and the rudder. Lastly,the calculation of the forces to which are submitted the components of theflight control is conducted. This step allows to determine the pilot controlforces and ensures to take into account the ergonomic aspect during the designphase. The results of this work highlight the limits of the different methodsused and serves as a basis for a future sizing work and detailed conception.