A320 Flight Controls Questions

The message WING TIP BRK ON appears on the E/WD. What does it mean?

• A hydraulic device locks the flaps in their present position.
• To reduce structural stress, the slats movement is being slowed down through the wing tip brakes.
• To avoid asymmetry, the outer slats are locked in their present position.
• Because of the locked flaps, the wing tip brakes also lock the slats.

Explanation: Wing tip brakes are hydraulically-actuated devices that lock the affected slat or flap surfaces in their current position when triggered by conditions like asymmetry or overspeed - they don't slow the surfaces down, and locking one set (flaps or slats) doesn't force-lock the other.

Flight Controls - Flaps and Slats (Main Components, Wingtip Brakes)

The Ground Mode is different in Alternate Law.

• True.
• False.

Explanation: Under alternate law, ground mode becomes active on the ground 5 seconds after touchdown, but it is otherwise identical to the ground mode used in normal law - so the mode itself isn't different, only its activation timing.

Flight Controls - Flight Control System (Reconfiguration Control Laws, Alternate Law - Pitch Control)

Should the active elevator actuator fail, elevator control is:

• Lost.
• Maintained by the other actuator.
• Reduced.

Explanation: Each elevator is driven by two servojacks - if the active one fails, the other (previously in damping mode) automatically becomes active, so elevator control is maintained rather than lost.

Flight Controls - General Architecture (Pitch Control, Actuation - Elevators)

The spoiler panels are the only flight control surfaces with no redundant control.

• True.
• False.

Explanation: Each spoiler is driven by a single servojack, unlike the ailerons and elevators, which each have two - so the spoilers are the one flight control surface type without redundant actuation.

Flight Controls - General Architecture (Roll Control, Actuation - Spoilers)

Automatic pitch trim is inhibited when:

• Radio altitude is below 50 feet (100 feet with autopilot coupled).
• Bank angle is greater than 33 degrees.
• Load factor is less than 1G.
• First two statements are correct

Explanation: Automatic pitch trim freezes below 50 ft RA (100 ft with the autopilot engaged); a related nose-up trim limit also kicks in once bank angle exceeds 33 degrees or load factor moves outside its normal range, so both the radio-altitude and bank-angle conditions restrict automatic trim.

Flight Controls - Flight Control System (Normal Law, Pitch Control and Protections)

The purpose of the Load Alleviation Function is to:

• Relieve wing structure loads by moving the ailerons.
• Relieve wing structure loads by extending spoilers 4 and 5.
• Help slow the airplane down.
• First two statements are correct

Explanation:

Automatic rudder trim is provided at the rate of _____ while the manual rudder trim rate is ______ up to a maximum of ______.

• 5 deg/sec - 2 deg/sec - 20 degs
• 5 deg/sec - 1 deg/sec - 20 degs
• 8 deg/sec - 2 deg/sec - 10 degs
• 8 deg/sec - 5 deg/sec - 10 degs

Explanation: The manual rudder trim rate via the rotary RUD TRIM selector is confirmed at 1 degree of rudder travel per second, which matches this option and rules out the others - the automatic rate and maximum travel figures couldn't be independently verified in the extracted text, but they're consistent with the values used in a related question in this same bank about autopilot-on/off rudder trim rates.

Flight Controls - Controls and Indicators (Pedestal, RUD TRIM Rotary Selector)

What happens to high speed (VMO/MMO) when you are in Alternate Law?

• VMO is reduced to 320 kt and MMO minus 10 kt.
• VMO is reduced to 330 kt and MMO minus 10 kt
• VMO is reduced to 320 kt and MMO does not change.
• There is no change.

Explanation: The ECAM's alternate-law status message shows a reduced MAX SPEED of 320 kt without an accompanying reduced Mach figure, so VMO drops to 320 kt while MMO is unaffected.

Flight Controls - Flight Control System (Reconfiguration Control Laws, General)