STABILITY

Stability is defined as the tendency of an aircraft to oppose a disturbance (e.g., gust) and
return to its initial steady-state trim condition if disturbed. Stability is often divided into
two branches:
1. Static stability
2. Dynamic stability.
Static stability is defined as the initial tendency of an aircraft, without pilot assistance, to
develop forces and/or moments which oppose an instantaneous perturbation of a motion
variable from a steady-state flight condition.
Dynamic stability is defined as the tendency of an aircraft, without pilot assistance, to return to
the initial steady-state trim condition after a disturbance disturbs the trim values. When an
aircraft is dynamically stable, it definitely has static stability. However, if an aircraft is
statically stable, there is no guarantee that it has dynamic stability. Dynamic stability is
concerned about the rate at which the motion damps out. Stability is associated with damped,
undamped and divergent oscillations.