It incorporated negative stability and fly-by-wire controls with four analog computers.
Because the A320 relies so much more extensively on fly-by-wire controls, it has a far more sophisticated computer system than those that run the automatic pilot on older commercial aircraft.
The company intends to have the aircraft available for sale in July 2013 and it is expected to offer fly-by-wire controls as an option by 2014.
During 2005, the Dassault Falcon 7X became the first business jet with fly-by-wire controls.
Boeing has confirmed that fly-by-wire controls will be added to the spoilers.
Northrop was not yet confident in fly-by-wire controls and retained mechanically-signaled flight controls.
It also lacks armor protection for the engines, advanced fly-by-wire controls, electronic countermeasures and any systems dedicated to ground attack operations.
New build Silent Eagles will be lighter and more fuel efficient than Strike Eagle conversions because of the canted tails, fly-by-wire controls, and digital EW equipment.
Sensors communicate the demanded flight response and then apply realistic force feedback to the fly-by-wire controls using motors.