A technological demonstrator for the application of PHM techniques to electro-mechanical flight control actuators

The ASTIB project (Development of Advanced Systems Technologies and hardware/software for the flight simulator and Iron Bird demonstrators for regional aircraft) aims to the design and realize a technological demonstrator, or Iron Bird, to test new key technologies toward the development of a new more-electric regional aircraft. For flight control actuators, this means the replacement of the mature electro-hydraulic architecture with new electro-mechanical actuators, which are however considered less safe than their traditional counterpart. In this context, PHM is perceived as a key element to widen the application of the electro-mechanical solution. The paper deals with the activities surrounding the definition of such technological demonstrator, providing a development framework useful for research programs not limited to the aeronautic field.