The AFCS basic structure comprises three types of components. Which of the following is one of those component types?

• A. Actuators
• B. Sensors
• C. Computers
• D. Avionics

Answer: (B)

An AFCS relies on a feedback loop built from sensors, computers, and actuators. The sensors are the measurement part of that loop; they detect the aircraft’s current state—things like attitude, angular rates, and air data—and provide real-time data to the computer. The computer then compares these measurements to the commanded conditions and computes the necessary corrections, which the actuators carry out by moving the control surfaces.

Avionics is a broad category of electronic systems on the aircraft, not a single AFCS component type, so it doesn’t fit as one of the essential AFCS elements. Sensors are a fundamental piece of the system because without accurate measurements feeding the computer, there would be no way to determine what needs to be corrected to achieve stable, commanded flight.