Patent ID: 8763950

Claim:
A reconfigurable flight control system for reconfiguring flight control of an aircraft during a failure, the aircraft having flight control actuators and sensors, the reconfigurable flight control system comprising: a control law that is software-implemented and configured to automatically send flight control data to a mixing/mapping matrix; a reconfiguration management tool configured to communicate with the mixing/mapping matrix in order to safely transfer authority from a failed actuator to a back-up actuator, the reconfiguration management tool comprising: a risk factor tool for calculating a risk factor, the risk factor being used for determining whether reconfiguration is necessary; wherein the risk factor is an empirical representation of a control authority of the aircraft, such that a degradation in the control authority effects the risk factor; and a sensor management tool for providing input to the reconfiguration management tool in order to smooth any transient conditions that may occur during reconfiguration; wherein the mixing/mapping matrix is configured to dictate the use of a differentiate collective power and a left and right aircraft flap differential, in order to achieve an aircraft yawing control of the aircraft.