What does the flap control and warning unit detect?

The flap control and warning unit plays a crucial role in monitoring the aircraft's flap system, specifically focusing on detecting issues such as asymmetry and failures or jams in the drive shafts. This is critical for ensuring safe operation of the aircraft during takeoff and landing phases where flaps are deployed. The detection of asymmetry means that if one flap moves differently from the other, it can help prevent problems such as loss of control or unbalanced lift.

Additionally, monitoring for failures or jams in the drive shafts ensures that the flaps can be correctly deployed and retracted as needed. This contributes to maintaining the safety and efficiency of the aircraft during its operation, especially since malfunctioning flaps can lead to compromised flight characteristics.

While speed, weight distribution, and altitude are important factors in overall aircraft operation, they are not the primary focus of the flap control and warning unit which is specifically designed to oversee flap mechanism integrity.