Automated test apparatus for aircraft flight controls

An automated test apparatus for testing a flight controls system of an aircraft, the aircraft including an onboard maintenance computer that is connected to the flight controls system and a non-volatile memory that is programmed to run onboard tests of the flight controls system, said apparatus comprising:

• a system controller having memory means for storing programmed instructions that control operation of the automated test apparatus to automatically test the flight controls system and for storing flight controls system test data;
• information entry means for entering information into said system controller;
• output means for outputting said test data from said system controller;
• instrumentation means for generating a first set of signals that are input to the flight controls system, and for monitoring a second set of signals that are produced by the flight controls system, said instrumentation means being controlled by said system controller and connected to provide digital signals to said system controller corresponding to at least some of the second set of signals;
• and
• interface means connecting said system controller to at least said onboard maintenance computer, said system controller controlling the onboard maintenance computer in accordance with the programmed instructions to run the onboard tests of the flight controls system while the aircraft is on the ground, in coordination with the first set of signals generated by said instrumentation means, results of the onboard tests being conveyed through said interface means to said system controller.

A method for automatically testing a flight controls system of an aircraft on the ground, the aircraft including an onboard maintenance computer that is connected to the flight controls system and a non-volatile memory that is programmed to run onboard tests of the flight controls system, said method comprising:

• storing programmed instructions for testing the flight controls system in a system controller having memory capacity;
• interfacing the system controller with the aircraft's onboard maintenance computer during the tests, to control the onboard maintenance computer in accordance with the stored programmed instructions;
• generating a first set of signals with instrumentation means controlled by the system controller in accordance with the programmed instructions to run the onboard tests of the flight controls system;
• monitoring a second set of signals produced by testing of the flight controls system;
• storing test data corresponding to the second set of signals in the system controller;
• and
• outputting the stored test data to an output device.