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Fly-by-wire replaces mechanical flight controls with electronic computer signals

Computers interpret pilot input to adjust aircraft flight surfaces via hydraulic actuators

Traditional aeroplanes used physical cables and pulleys to adjust elevator and aileron control surfaces. Fly-by-wire flight control systems transmit electronic signals from cockpit controls to flight computers, which compute the required control movements. Introduced commercially on the Airbus A320 in 1987, it improves fuel efficiency and flight stability.

Where this comes from

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center

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Tags: aviation, fly-by-wire, computers

Fly-by-wire replaces mechanical flight controls with electronic computer signals: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?
Computers interpret pilot input to adjust aircraft flight surfaces via hydraulic actuators. The figure is taken from NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
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