Design and Implementation of a UAV Control System Using the Airbus A320 Side-Stick Controller

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 3, 497 - 502

Hüseyin Gülhan , Ömer Kemerlioğlu , Aydın Türkmen , Sümeyra Tuna , Mehmet Konar

https://doi.org/10.30518/jav.1768620

Abstract

Air transportation has become a rapidly expanding and widely preferred mode of international and intercontinental travel. In line with this growth, aircraft manufacturers continuously strive to enhance both flight safety and comfort for passengers as well as flight crews. One of the most significant examples of these efforts is the side-stick controller employed in Airbus aircraft, which plays a vital role in improving flight safety and operational efficiency. The side-stick is a fundamental control device that facilitates the pilot’s handling of the aircraft. Pilot inputs made in the cockpit are transmitted via the side-stick and used as reference signals for the actuation of the flight control surfaces. These signals are then processed by the flight control computers, which determine the corresponding movements of the control surfaces. In this way, cockpit commands are converted into electrical signals, enabling precise aircraft control through the flight control system.

Keywords

Side-stick , Fly-by-wire , Simulator , Control Surfaces , UAV , A320

Supporting Institution

Erciyes University

Project Number

FYL-2024-13287

Thanks

This study was supported by the Scientific Research Projects Unit of Erciyes University with the FYL-2024-13287 project code. Thank you for support.

References

• Aguilar, G. P., Binet, L., & Rakotomamonjy, T. (2019, July). Design methodology of force feedback laws for active side stick interface. In World Haptics Conference.
• Alford, L. D. (2004). Fly-by-wire T & E challenge [aircraft test pilot handling compensation]. IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine, 19(2), 3-7.
• Arik, S., Turkmen, I. and Oktay, T. (2018). Redesign of Morphing UAV for Simultaneous Improvement of Directional Stability and Maximum Lift/Drag Ratio. Advances in Electrical and Computer Engineering. 18(4), 57-62.
• Bağiş, A., & Konar, M., (2008). Elektronik Uçuş Kontrol Sistemleri. VII. Havacılık Sempozyumu (HaSeM’08) (pp.155-159). Kayseri, Turkey
• Bailey, Jr, A. (1963). Development of a Side-Stick Controller for Aerospace Vehicles. In Testing of Manned Flight Systems Conference (p. 1806).
• Basdogan, C., Sedef, M., Harders, M., & Wesarg, S. (2007). VR-based simulators for training in minimally invasive surgery. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 27(2), 54-66.
• Bell, H. H., & Waag, W. L. (1998). Evaluating the effectiveness of flight simulators for training combat skills: A review. The international journal of aviation psychology, 8(3), 223-242.
• Bilgin, M. and Konar, M. (2022). Investigation of Visual Disappearance by Intelligent Illumination of Exterior Surfaces of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Journal of Aviation. 6(1), 26-32.
• Coban, S. and Oktay, T. (2023). Innovative Morphing UAV Design and Manufacture. Journal of Aviation. 7(2), 184-189.
• Collinson, R. P. (2012). Introduction to avionics (Vol. 11). Springer Science & Business Media.
• Corps, S. G. (1986). Airbus A320 Side Stick and Fly by Wire—An Update. SAE Transactions, 1263-1275.
• Coyle, S. (1993). Automatic flight control. Blackwell Scientific Publications.
• De Lucena, S. E., & Suzuki, E. Y. (2007, May). Electro-hydraulic actuator tester for fly-by-wire aircrafts. In 2007 IEEE Instrumentation & Measurement Technology Conference IMTC 2007 (pp. 1-3). IEEE.
• Dechow, M., & Nurcombe, C. A. H. (2005). Aircraft environmental control systems. In Air quality in airplane cabins and similar enclosed spaces (pp. 3-24). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
• Ersen, M and Konar, M. (2023). Obtaining Condition Monitoring Data for the Prognostics of the Flight Time of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Journal of Aviation. 7(2), 209-214.
• Farmer, E., Van Rooij, J., Riemersma, J., & Jorna, P. (2017). Handbook of simulator-based training. Routledge.
• Fellah, K., Guiatni, M., Ournid, A. K., & Boulahlib, M. A. (2016). Fuzzy-PID side-stick force control for flight simulation. The Aeronautical Journal, 120(1227), 845-872.
• Hancock, P. A., Vincenzi, D. A., Wise, J. A., & Mouloua, M. (2008). Human factors in simulation and training. CRC Press.
• Hatipoğlu, S. A., & Özcan, B. (2025). Estimating of UAV Battery Status with BSA Based Sugeno Type Fuzzy System. Journal of Aviation, 9(2), 382-387.
• Hegg, J. W., Smith, M. P., & Yount, L. (1992, October). Sidestick controllers for advanced aircraft cockpits. In [1992] Proceedings IEEE/AIAA 11th Digital Avionics Systems Conference (pp. 491-499). IEEE.
• Hegg, J. W., Smith, M. P., Yount, L., & Todd, J. (1994, October). Features of active sidestick controllers. In AIAA/IEEE Digital Avionics Systems Conference. 13th DASC (pp. 305-308). IEEE.
• Hosman, R. J., Benard, B., & Fourquet, H. (1990, November). Active and passive side stick controllers in manual aircraft control. In 1990 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Conference Proceedings (pp. 527-529). IEEE.
• Karaburun, N. N., Hatipoğlu, S. A., & Konar, M. (2024). SOC estimation of Li-Po battery using machine learning and deep learning methods. Journal of Aviation, 8(1), 26-31.
• Karaburun, N. N., Hatipoğlu, S. A., & Konar, M. (2025). Aircraft takeoff speed prediction with machine learning: parameter analysis and model development. The Aeronautical Journal, 129(1336), 1534-1549.
• Konar, M., Hatipoğlu, S. A., & Akpınar, M. (2024). Improvement of UAV thrust using the BSO algorithm-based ANFIS model. The Aeronautical Journal, 128(1328), 2364-2373.
• McLean, D. (1999). Aircraft flight control systems. The Aeronautical Journal, 103(1021), 159-166.
• McLean, D. (2003). Automatic flight control systems. Measurement and Control, 36(6), 172-175.
• Samia, H., Khan, S., Lawrence, J., & Delaney, C. P. (2013). Simulation and its role in training. Clinics in colon and rectal surgery, 26(01), 047-055.
• Summers, L. G., Shannon, J. H., White, T. R., & Shiner, R. J. (1987). Fly-by-wire sidestick controller evaluation (No. 871761). SAE Technical Paper.
• Tischler, M. B. (1996). Advances in aircraft flight control. crc press.
• Tselegkaridis, S., & Sapounidis, T. (2021). Simulators in educational robotics: A review. Education Sciences, 11(1), 11.