A servo valve comprising: a housing ; the housing comprising a first fluid supply port , a fluid return port and a conduit therebetween the servo valve further comprising an elongated flapper having a portion arranged in the conduit ; and an actuator configured to apply a force to the flapper in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the flapper to move the flapper in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the flapper between a first blocking position in which it blocks the conduit such that fluid cannot flow from the first fluid supply port to the fluid return port and a first open position in which the conduit is open such that fluid can flow from the first fluid supply port to the fluid return port wherein the flapper has a fixed end fixed to the housing and a free end opposed to the fixed end , and wherein the actuator is configured to act on a portion of the flapper at or proximate the free end so as to move the flapper, and wherein the flapper is biased to an equilibrium position, wherein the force applied to the flapper causes the flapper to bend to move, characterised in that the flapper is configured to block the conduit at a location between the fixed end and the portion of the flapper acted on by the actuator . a housing ; the housing comprising a first fluid supply port , a fluid return port and a conduit therebetween the servo valve further comprising an elongated flapper having a portion arranged in the conduit ; and an actuator configured to apply a force to the flapper in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the flapper to move the flapper in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the flapper between a first blocking position in which it blocks the conduit such that fluid cannot flow from the first fluid supply port to the fluid return port and a first open position in which the conduit is open such that fluid can flow from the first fluid supply port to the fluid return port wherein the flapper has a fixed end fixed to the housing and a free end opposed to the fixed end , and wherein the actuator is configured to act on a portion of the flapper at or proximate the free end so as to move the flapper, and wherein the flapper is biased to an equilibrium position, wherein the force applied to the flapper causes the flapper to bend to move, characterised in that the flapper is configured to block the conduit at a location between the fixed end and the portion of the flapper acted on by the actuator . the housing comprising a first fluid supply port , a fluid return port and a conduit therebetween the servo valve further comprising an elongated flapper having a portion arranged in the conduit ; and an actuator configured to apply a force to the flapper in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the flapper to move the flapper in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the flapper between a first blocking position in which it blocks the conduit such that fluid cannot flow from the first fluid supply port to the fluid return port and a first open position in which the conduit is open such that fluid can flow from the first fluid supply port to the fluid return port wherein the flapper has a fixed end fixed to the housing and a free end opposed to the fixed end , and wherein the actuator is configured to act on a portion of the flapper at or proximate the free end so as to move the flapper, and wherein the flapper is biased to an equilibrium position, wherein the force applied to the flapper causes the flapper to bend to move, characterised in that the flapper is configured to block the conduit at a location between the fixed end and the portion of the flapper acted on by the actuator . <EOS>