Airplane fly-by-wire control system and method

A fly-by-wire (FBW) control system for an aircraft, the control system comprising:

• a plurality of inceptors;
• a plurality of actuators;
• a plurality of first linkages, wherein each of the inceptors is electrically coupled to a respective one or more of the actuators by a respective one or more of the first linkages, so that each of the first linkages respectively electrically couples a respective pair of the inceptors and actuators;
• at least one controller area network (CAN) bus;
• at least one flight control computer (FCC) coupled to the plurality of actuators by the at least one CAN bus,
• wherein the at least one FCC is coupled to the inceptors only indirectly by the plurality of first linkages and the at least one CAN bus, with the plurality of actuators being coupled between the at least one CAN bus and the plurality of first linkages.

A method of operating an aircraft by a fly-by-wire (FBW) control system of the aircraft, the method comprising:

• providing the aircraft with the FBW control system,
• wherein the FBW control system includes a plurality of inceptors, a plurality of actuators, a plurality of first linkages, at least one flight control computer (FCC), and at least one additional linkage;
• wherein each of the inceptors is electrically coupled to a respective one or more of the actuators by a respective one or more of the first linkages, so that each of the first linkages respectively electrically couples a respective pair of the inceptors and actuators, and
• wherein the at least one FCC is coupled only indirectly to one or more of the inceptors, by each of the at least one additional linkage, at least one of the first linkages, and at least one of the actuators;
• switching from a normal mode of operation to a direct mode of operation,
• wherein, during the normal mode of operation, a first one of the actuators is controlled at least in part based upon control signals provided by the at least one FCC;
• and
• wherein, during the direct mode of operation, the first one of the actuators is controlled exclusively based upon one or more of a plurality of inceptor signals generated by the inceptors that is or are communicated directly by one or more of the first linkages to the first one of the actuators.