Patent ID: 8636245

Claim:
An aircraft comprising: at least one in-flight attitude control system, comprising at least one actuator; a hydraulic circuit connected to said at least one actuator and comprising at least one pump adapted to deliver a first flow when the pressure of the hydraulic circuit is above a presettable threshold value, wherein said pump is adapted to deliver a second flow greater than said first flow, said second flow providing a pressure of the hydraulic circuit greater than a certification pressure of the hydraulic circuit; a sensor adapted to detect a quantity associated with the pressure of said hydraulic circuit; and a programmable central control unit, which controls said pump to deliver said second flow when said quantity detected by said sensor corresponds to a pressure of said hydraulic circuit below said threshold value; wherein said central control unit is adapted to control said pump to deliver said second flow for a predetermined length of time during a boost cycle, in the event of exceptional power demand by said actuator, and said control unit is adapted to automatically switch said pump to said first flow, at the end of said boost cycle; wherein said pump is a variable-displacement axial-piston pump having a delivery, said pump comprising: a disk defining a tilting axis about which the disk tilts, wherein a tilting angle of the disk about the tilting axis controls the flow output by the pump; a first spring acting against the disk; a hydraulic piston that cooperates with the disk eccentrically with respect to said tilting axis, said hydraulic piston adapted to operate in opposition to said first spring to control the tilting angle of said disk with respect to said tilting axis; a conduit adapted to transfer pressure to said hydraulic piston; a valve housed in a chamber; a second spring acting on said valve; and a control device controlled by said central unit and normally set in a first position in which the control device connects said chamber to a tank, said second spring and said chamber adapted so that, when said chamber is connected to said tank, said valve opens said conduit so that said conduit is at the pressure of said delivery; said first spring being pre-loaded to bias said disk so the tilting angle is less than a maximum tilting angle when said conduit is at the pressure of said delivery; said pump adapted to deliver said first flow when said chamber is connected to said tank; wherein when said sensor detects a fall in the pressure of said hydraulic circuit, said central unit is adapted to switch said control unit to a boost position for a predetermined length of time by connecting said chamber to said delivery; wherein when said chamber is connected to said delivery, said valve closes said conduit, said piston is depressurized, and said disk is moved into a maximum-tilt position causing said pump to deliver said second flow.