Lecture 3 : Static Longitudinal Stability

Or the balancing of lift forces and pitching moments

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1.0 Trim condition

An aircraft is trimmed if there are no nett forces and moments acting on it

E.g. The nett pitching moment coefficient is zero M = 1/2 V2 S c Cm = 0

pitching moment coefficient

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1.1 Concept of static stability

Static stability refers to the tendency of the aircraft to develop forces or moments to return to its trim condition when disturbed

Question : What does that mean ?

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Figure 1.1 : Static stability

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1.2 Longitudinal static stability Longitudinal static stability refers to the tendency of the aircraft to return to its trim condition after a nose up or nose down disturbance

This implies that Cm must vary with AOA in a certain manner !!

Question : What manner ?

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Figure 1.2 : Cm variation with AOA Cm Cm

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Figure 1.3 : F4 wind tunnel data - pitching moment

Source : NASA Technical Note D 6425

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Moral

A statically stable aircraft must have Cm / < 0

Note : Aeronautical engineers usually write Cm / as Cm Question : Is static stability always a good thing ?

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1.3 Tail configuration - statically stable Lw

c.g.

wing

tail

W lw lt

Lt

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1.4 Tail configuration - statically unstable

Lw Lt wing c.g. tail

lw

lt

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Moral

Aircraft stability depends critically on cg location

Note : All aircraft have forward and aft cg limits Question : What happens if either forward or aft limits are violated ?

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2.0 Quantifying static longitudinal stability Lw c.g. V W Xcg Xw Xt m0 wing Lt e tail

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The trim conditions require that

Lw

+ m

Lt

= =

W 0

Where

= =

m0 m0

+ +

Lw (Xw Xcg) + Lt (Xt Xcg) Lw lw + Lt lt

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2.1 : Lift curve slope The key is to express aircraft lift and pitching moment in terms of contributions from the wing and the tail.

Lw

= =

V2 Sw CLw V2 SW aw

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2.2 : Effect of downwash on the tail lift Recall the tail surface is affected by downwash Lt = = Vt 2 St CLt (V2) St at [ (1 - /) + e ]

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2.3 : Aircraft lift coefficient Define the aircraft lift as L = Lw + Lt . In non-dimensional form V2 Sw CL CL = = = V2 Sw CLw + CLw + CLw + Vt2 St CLt

(Vt /V)2 (St/Sw) CLt (St/Sw) CLt

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The aircraft lift curve slope a = (CL)/ is given by : (St/Sw) at ( 1- )

aw +

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2.4 : Aircraft pitching moment coefficient Define the aircraft pitching moment as : m = m0 + Lw lw + Lt lt

Non-dimensionalise i.e. divide by V2 Sw c + (lw/c) CLw + (St lt) /(Swc) CLt

Cm

Cm0

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In terms of aoa and tail deflection Cm = Cm0 + (lw/c) aw + VH at [(1-) + e]

Collecting terms Cm = Cm0 + [ (lw/c) aw + VH at (1-) ] + [ VH at ] e

How would you interpret this ?

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2.5 : Neutral point & static margin Differentiate Cm with respect to Cm = (lw/c) aw + VH at (1- )

Express in terms of cg location Cm = = [(Xw - Xcg )/c] aw + (St/Sw) [(Xt - Xcg) /c] at (1- ) [ (Xw/c) aw + (St/Sw) (Xt/c) at (1- ) ] - [ aw + (St/Sw) at (1- ) ] (Xcg/c)
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Cm

[(Xw - Xt)/c] aw + a (Xt/c) - a (Xcg/c)

The neutral point is the cg location where Cm = 0, i.e. Xnp/c = [(Xw - Xt)/c] (aw/a ) + (Xt/c)

Rewrite the pitching moment curve slope in terms of Xnp/c Cm = = a (Xnp/c) - a (Xcg/c) - a [ ( Xcg Xnp) /c ]

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