Quote:
Originally Posted by raaaid
the thing is that that f16 test pilot account using the word dead band for run confused the comunity
till now many people in the comunity believes the f16 stick is 6mm lose  |
There is DEFINITELY a dead zone in the stick. Otherwise BREATHING on the stick would cause the control surfaces to move. And I mean that LITERALLY. A strain gauge at one end of a 24" long piece of 1/16" tk steel flat bar WILL measure the deflection CAUSED BY THE CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE DUE TO BREATHING ON THE OTHER END FOR LESS THAN A SECOND. I know b/c I've done it before. Now, as any idiot knows the F-16 stick will have 2 strain gauges to dampen temperature effects and the stick is insulated from most airflow but A DEAD ZONE IS REQUIRED on a force stick due to the extreme sensitivity of the devices.
Whether or not that dead zone is 3mm (fore/aft or port/starboard) of motion (or compensated for in the software) is irrelevant.
The point is that, in the F16, the 3mm of movement in a single direction DOES NOT MOVE THE CONTROL SURFACES TO 100% DEFLECTION. Nor is it the limit of measuring the force. So, after the 3mm has been reached, you are NOT EVEN CLOSE TO 100% INPUT. Now it may be that some amount of control input registers before the stick has stopped moving, but it is nowhere near the limit.
Additionally, as others have pointed out, the F-16 stick IS NOT EVEN CONNECTED TO THE CONTROL SURFACES. It's connected to the flight control computer only and the computer decides if the control surfaces should move or not (and how fast).
Furthermore, the gain (sensitivity) of the control inputs can be adjusted in flight. For example, when performing in-flight refueling the gain is set very low to smooth out the flying.
--Outlaw.