AIRCRAFT OPERATING METHOD, AIRCRAFT CONTROL PANEL ARCHITECTURE, AND AIRCRAFT

1 . A method of operating an aircraft ( 1 ) with multiple actuators, the method comprising:

i) monitoring an operational state of said multiple actuators ( 3 );

ii) when detecting a malfunctioning or failure of any one of said actuators ( 3 ), indicating said malfunctioning or failure to a pilot in command ( 2 b ) of the aircraft ( 1 );

iii) controlling a human machine interface ( 2 ab ) of the aircraft ( 1 ) to display and enable a limited choice of possible operating measures in connection with said malfunctioning or failure to the pilot in command ( 2 b ); and

iv) programming at least one control element ( 2 ae , 2 ae 1 , 2 ae 2 ) in association with said one actuator ( 3 ) to perform said measures when actuated by the pilot in command ( 2 b ).

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein

in a first mode, step iii) is performed automatically upon detection of said malfunctioning or failure.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein

in a second mode, step iii) is performed upon selection of said one actuator ( 3 ) by at least one of a user or the pilot in command ( 2 ab ).

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising selecting said first mode or said second mode by a user input.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein

step iii) comprises at least the possible operating measure of powering down said one actuator ( 3 ) by a user, in particular by programming of said control element ( 2 ae 1 ) in step iv).

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein

in a first mode, step iii) is performed automatically upon detection of said malfunctioning or failure, and step iii) additionally comprises at least the possible operating measure of powering up a plurality of said actuators ( 3 ), by a user.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein

in a second mode, step iii) is performed upon selection of said one actuator ( 3 ) by at least one of a user or the pilot in command ( 2 ab ), and step iii) additionally comprises at least the measure of powering up said one actuator ( 3 ) by the at least one of the user or the pilot in command.

8 . A control panel architecture ( 2 a ) in an aircraft ( 1 ) with multiple actuators, the control panel architecture comprising:

a) a respective monitoring unit ( 4 ) associated with each said actuator ( 3 ) configured for monitoring a condition thereof;

b) a data acquisition and processing unit ( 2 aa ) in connection with said monitoring units ( 4 ) configured for acquiring and processing condition data of said multiple actuators ( 3 ); and

c) a human machine interface unit ( 2 ab ) in connection with said data acquisition and processing unit ( 2 aa ), comprising:

ca) a display ( 2 ac ) controllable by said data acquisition and processing unit ( 2 aa ) configured to display a limited choice of possible operating measures in accordance with said condition data to a pilot in command ( 2 b ) of the aircraft ( 1 ); and

cb) at least one control element ( 2 ae , 2 ae 1 , 2 ae 2 ) associable with at least one said actuator ( 3 ) and controllable by said data acquisition and processing unit ( 2 aa ) to perform said measures when actuated by the pilot in command ( 2 b ).

9 . The control panel architecture ( 2 a ) of claim 8 , wherein said at least one control element ( 2 ae 1 ) is a power control element comprising a power-down element for the at least one actuator ( 3 ).

10 . The control panel architecture ( 2 a ) of claim 9 , further comprising a relay unit ( 2 af ) in connection at least with said multiple actuators ( 3 ) configured for controlling an operational state thereof in accordance with actuation of said at least one control element ( 2 ae , 2 ae 1 , 2 ae 2 ).

11 . The control panel architecture ( 2 a ) of claim 8 , wherein the at least one control element comprises at least first and second ones of the control elements ( 2 ae 1 , 2 ae 2 ), the first control element being configured for powering down the at least one actuator ( 3 ), and the second control element being configured for powering up the at least one actuator ( 3 ) or for powering up a plurality of said actuators ( 3 ).

12 . The control panel architecture ( 2 a ) of claim 8 , further comprising a selecting element ( 2 ad ) in connection with said data acquisition and processing unit ( 2 aa ) configured for selecting an operational mode thereof, wherein in a first operational mode said display ( 2 ac ) according to feature ca) and said at least one control element ( 2 ae , 2 ae 1 , 2 ae 2 ) according to feature cb) is set up automatically, and wherein in a second operational mode said display according ( 2 ac ) to feature ca) and said at least one control element ( 2 ae , 2 ae 1 , 2 ae 2 ) according to feature cb) is set up in accordance with a state of said selecting element ( 2 ad ).

13 . The control panel architecture ( 2 a ) of claim 12 , wherein the selecting element ( 2 ad ) is configured to allow selecting between an automatic mode and a further mode for selecting any one of said multiple actuators ( 3 ), and said automatic mode corresponds to said first mode and said further mode corresponds to said second mode.

14 . The control panel architecture ( 2 a ) of claim 8 , further comprising an additional display ( 2 ag ) configured for displaying malfunctioning or failure of any one actuator ( 3 ) to the pilot in command ( 2 b ).

15 . An aircraft ( 1 ) with multiple actuators comprising the control panel architecture ( 2 a ) according to claim 8 .

16 . The aircraft of claim 15 , wherein the multiple actuators are propulsion units ( 3 ).

17 . The aircraft of claim 16 , wherein the propulsion units are electrically powered propulsion units.