Boeing 787 General Familiarisation – Variable Camber Trim Unit or commonly known as the “Cruise Flaps”; the Boeing 787 has a system called the “variable camber trim unit” or (VCTU).
This system lets the inboard flaps move independently of the outboard flaps; on most aircraft these are locked together, the ability to separate these makes the wing more efficient in cruise by decreasing the drag and improving the performance in cruise.
There are 2 VCTUs – 1 on the left wing and 1 on the right wing.
The VCTU holds the outboard torque tubes in place but lets the electric motor of the PDU move the inboard flaps.
With regards to the control – well it is an automatic system that the pilot does not control and so the VCTU operation is automated in its operation meaning that no pilot action is necessary.
The Flight Control Electronics (FCE) will calculate the commands for the movement based on the flight profile and multiple additional factors.
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