Lecture 1 : Introduction to Flight Dynamics,

Stability & Control

Or appreciating the basic terms and concepts

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

1.0 Course Info

Instructor: Associate Professor Gerard Leng

Office: E2-02-37
Phone: 6-516-6548
E-mail: [email protected]
Consultation: M-F 12-2pm (by appt)
Website: http://dynlab.mpe.nus.edu.sg/mpelsb/

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

1.1 Course requirements

Background (Basic engineering courses ~ stage 1&2 )

Dynamics
Calculus
Computer programming (C/C++)
Feedback & Control
Matlab (optional)

Open Book Exam (80%), CA (20%)

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

1.2 Recommended References

Robert C. Nelson, Flight Stability and Automatic

Control, McGraw Hill, 2nd ed, 1998.

Barnes W. McCormick, Aerodynamics, Aeronautics and

Flight Mechanics, Wiley, 2nd ed, 1995.

Bandu N. Pamadi, Performance, Stability, Dynamics and

Control of Airplanes, AIAA, 1998

Louis V. Schmidt, Introduction to Aircraft Flight

Dynamics, AIAA, 1997

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

1.3 Industrial standards
FAR Part 23: Airworthiness standards: Normal, utility,
acrobatic, and commuter category.

FAR Part 25: Airworthiness standards: Transport category

airplanes

MIL-F-8785C: Flying qualities of piloted airplanes. (pre

1996)

MIL-STD-1797B : Flying qualities of piloted aircraft (post

1996)

MIL-F-9490D: Flight control systems, design, installation and

testing of piloted aircraft, General specifications for.
G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control
1.4 Training programme

1. Basic aerodynamic terms and concepts

2. The flight environment

3. Static longitudinal & lateral stability

4. Equations of motion

5. Dynamic stability

6. Design of flight control systems

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

2.0 Basic aerodynamic terms and concepts

Mission Profile

Propulsion Aerodynamics Structures

Flight Dynamics & Control

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

2.1 Angle of attack (AOA) and sideslip angle

AOA is the angle between the direction of the airflow and the wings

aircraft longitudinal axis

airflow

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

 Sideslip angle is the angle
between the velocity vector and
the aircraft plane of symmetry

velocity
By convention sideslip to the right
is positive

Typically one tries to fly with

zero sideslip

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

2.2 : Definition of lift & drag coefficients CL and CD

Aerodynamic forces are typically expressed as

L = 1/2 V2 S CL

Similarly for the drag coefficient D = 1/2 V2 S CD

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Question : How does the lift coefficient vary with AOA ?

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Question : How large are lift forces for a typical combat aircraft ?

From Janes all the Worlds aircraft

F16C ( F100 PW engine)

Weight empty = 8 433 kg

Takeoff Weight = 12 138 kg

( 2 AAM, no tanks)

So whats the lift force ?

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Question :

How does combat aircraft weight vary with a typical mission ?

What about a civilian aircraft ?

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Weight variation of an Airbus A380-800

Empty : 277,000 kg
Max Takeoff : 560,000 kg
Fuel Capacity : 260,900 kg
Max Payload : 84,000 kg

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Question : How does the operational altitude and airspeed vary ?

60

kft 30

0.0 1.0 2.0 Mach

0

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Question : So what are typical values for the lift coefficients ?

F16, 1g sustained (level flight ) at 700 kts, 50 kft

air density (15.2 km) =

airspeed =

weight (2 AAM 50% fuel) = 10 659 kg

wing area = 27.87 m2

Hence CL = W / (1/2 V2 S)

=
G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control
Question : Is CL constant throughout flight ?

Example : F16 flap schedule

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

2.3 : Describing wing shapes

b : span

c : mean aerodynamic chord

S : surface area
: aspect ratio b2/S

F16 b
b = 9.14 m
S = 27.87 m2
=
G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control
Whats the aspect ratio for the Airbus A380-800 ?

Wing span : 79.80 m

Wing area : 845.0 m

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Extreme example - Scaled Composites Model 311 Virgin Atlantic
GlobalFlyer

2005 28/2 3/3, fastest, nonstop, unrefueled solo circumnavigation

Wing span : 34.75 m

Wing area : 37.16 m

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

2.4 The mean aerodynamic chord
The mean aerodynamic chord is defined by :

b/2

2
c ( y ) dy
c mac b / 2
S

The span-wise location of the mean aerodynamic chord is at :

b/2

c( y) ydy
y mac 0
S/ 2

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Homework : Linear taper wings
x

c0 c1
y
b
Root chord c0 Tip chord c1 Taper ratio = c1/c0
Show
1. For the right wing c(y) = c0 [1 - 2 (1 ) (y/b) ]
2. cmac = 2/3 c0 (1 + + 2)/(1 + )

3. ymac = b/6 (1 + 2) / (1 + )
4. c(ymac) = cmac
G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control
2.5 Concept of wing loading

A measure of force distribution on an aircraft

Wing loading = Lift force

Wing area

For level flight,

lift = weight
hence

wing loading = W/S

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Question : What is the wing loading for typical combat aircraft ?
Aircraft b (m) S (m2) AR W/S (N/m2)
F104 6.68 18.2 2.45 4856
MIG 21 7.15 23.2 2.2 3463
X31 7.26 21.02 2.5 2954
F5 7.7 15.79 3.75 3989
Gripen 8 28.4 1.09 2761
Mirage III 8.22 34.85 1.94 2220
Kfir 8.22 34.8 1.94 4647
Jaguar 8.49 24 3 4263
Tornado 8.6 42.3 1.75 6305
Mirage 2000 9.13 41 2.03 4063
F16 9.14 27.87 3 3449
EFA 10.5 50 2.205 3332
Viggen 10.6 46 2.44 3622
Rafale 11.2 47 2.67 2919
F18 11.43 37.2 3.52 3250
F14 11.72 66.3 2.07 3847
F4 11.8 49.26 2.82 3545
F15 13.04 59.3 2.88 3556
MIG 25 14 56 3.07 4764
G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control
 Figure 2.1

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Moral

Large W/S less sensitive to gust

Small W/S better manoeuvrability

Question : Why ?

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

 Wing loading : a comparison
Aircraft Mass (kg) Wing Area (m2) W/S (N/m2)

A380 560 000 845

F15 21 500 59.3

F16 9 800 27.87

GlobalFlyer 10 024 37.16

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

3.0 Axis System

1 : For flight dynamics and control the axis system or reference frame is
fixed to the flight vehicle.

2 : The convention for flight dynamics is to place the origin at the

centre of mass of the aircraft with

I) The positive x axis points towards the nose

II) The positive y axis points towards the right wing
III) The positive z axis points downwards.

NB : Aerodynamics, propulsion & structures use different conventions

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

 Figure 3.1 : Axis system

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

3.1 Describing Aircraft Motion

The aircraft can rotate about the 3 axes

Term Physical description rotation axis

roll wings up/down X

pitch nose up/down Y

yaw nose right/left Z

Positive direction of rotation determined by right hand rule

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

3.2 Means of controlling roll, pitch & yaw
Present aircraft use control surfaces to generate the aerodynamic
forces/moments for roll , pitch and yaw

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Question : Whats downwash ?

Downwash refers to the effect airflow coming off from the wing has on
the tail

airflow

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

3.3 Nomenclature & symbols

: angle of attack (AOA)

: sideslip angle
a : aileron deflection
e : elevator deflection
r : rudder deflection
: air density
,, : roll, pitch and yaw angles

l.m.n : roll, pitch & yaw moments

p,q,r, : roll, pitch and yaw angular rates
u,v,w : velocity X,Y & Z components

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control