MAE 4242 AIRCRAFT STABILITY & CONTROL

Aircraft Flight Dynamics Equations of Motion

(Nelson: 3.1-3.2, 3.4-3.5)
Yongki Go

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Reference Frames Used in EOM Derivation
Two reference frames are often used in aircraft motion
analysis:
Inertial (fixed) frame: reference for the motion description
Body-fixed frame: used to express the equations of motion

CG

i, j, k: unit vectors along

Translational velocity of aircraft: V u i v j wk
Angular velocity of aircraft: p i q j r k
6-DOF Aircraft EOM: Force Equations (1)
dV dV
Newtons laws: F ma m m V
dt dt b
dV Use Coriolis theorem,
u i v j wk because in general aircraft
dt b body-axes are rotating
i j k
V p q r (qw rv)i (ru pw) j ( pv qu )k
u v w
F
Fx m(u qw rv)
Fy m(v ru pw)
Fz m( w pv qu )
6-DOF Aircraft EOM: Force Equations (2)
The components of force due to gravity:

Fxg mg sin Fyg mg cos sin Fzg mg cos cos

If X, Y, Z are force components due to aerodynamics and
propulsion along the xb, yb, and zb axes:
X mg sin m(u qw rv)
Y mg cos sin m(v ru pw)
Z mg cos cos m( w pv qu )
6-DOF Aircraft EOM: Moment Equations (1)
Governing equation: M cm H cm H cm H cm
b
H x I xx p I xy q I xz r

H cm I cm H y I yx p I yy q I yz r
H
z zx I p I zy q I r
zz
constant on the body-fixed axes:
H x I xx p I xy q I xz r

H cm I cm H y I yx p I yy q I yz r
b
H z I p I q I r
zx zy zz

Expressing moments about xb, yb, zb axes as L, M, N:

L H x rH y qH z
M H y pH z rH x
N H z qH x pH y
6-DOF Aircraft EOM: Moment Equations (2)
For conventional aircraft (with xb-zb as plane of symmetry):
I xy I yz 0
I xx p I xz r

H cm I yy q H cm
b
I p I r
zx zz
Moment equations are simplified to:
L I xx p I xz r ( I zz I yy )qr I xz pq
M I yy q ( I xx I zz ) pr I xz ( p 2 r 2 )
N I xz p I zz r ( I yy I xx ) pq I xz qr
6-DOF Aircraft Dynamics EOM
The dynamic equations for 6-DOF aircraft:
X mg sin m(u qw rv)
Y mg cos sin m(v ru pw)
Z mg cos cos m( w pv qu )
L I xx p I xz r ( I zz I yy )qr I xz pq
M I yy q ( I xx I zz ) pr I xz ( p 2 r 2 )
N I xz p I zz r ( I yy I xx ) pq I xz qr
Coupled and
X, Y, Z, L, M and N are forces and moments from
aerodynamics and propulsion; and in general functions of
motion variables and control surfaces
For example: X f (u , w, e , T )
Steady/Trimmed Flight
Because the aircraft EOM are nonlinear and coupled, general
solutions often can only be obtained numerically
Will simplify EOM by linearizing equations about
steady/trimmed flight
Steady/trimmed flight: solution where all motion variables
remain constant with time relative to the body-fixed axis
system xbybzb (in equilibrium condition)
F body
M
body
0 p0 q0 r0 u0 v0 w0 0
Additional constraints for several steady flight conditions:
Steady wing-level: 0 0 0 0 0

Steady turning: 0, constant

0 0
Steady roll: 0 0 0, constant
Linearization of Aircraft EOM
Aircraft motion is often analyzed as deviation from steady
or trimmed flight conditions
Mathematically:
Aircraft motion = steady motion + deviation from steady motion

Deviation from

Total aircraft motion

Steady motion

Aircraft equations of motion become linear if small deviations

from steady motion are considered
Small disturbance theory
Small Disturbance Theory (1)
Consider small deviations of aircraft motion about a steady
flight condition
Sufficient accuracy for practical engineering purposes
Results not valid for motions involving large deviations
Variables in EOM can be replaced by a steady value
(subscript 0) and a small disturbance:
u u0 u v v0 v w w0 w
p p0 p q q0 q r r0 r
X X 0 X Y Y0 Y Z Z 0 Z
L L0 L M M 0 M N N 0 N
0
The steady flight condition used as a reference: steady
wing-level flight with
Small Disturbance Theory (2)
Forces and moments from aerodynamics and propulsion can
be expanded using
For example: X f (u, w, e , T )
X X X X
X X 0 X X 0 u w e T h.o.t.
u w e T
For small deviations from steady condition, it is enough to
approximate using only the first order terms in the Taylors
series expansion
The higher order terms are assumed small and can be neglected
For the example above:
X X X X
X u w e T
u w e T
Small Disturbance Theory (3)
For conventional aircraft:
X X X X
X u w e T throttle setting
u w e T
Y Y Y Y
Y v p r r rudder angle
v p r r
Z Z Z Z Z Z
Z u w w q e T
u w w q e T
L L L L L
L v p r r a
v p r r a
M M M M M M
M u w w q e T
u w w q e T
N N N N N
N v p r r a
v p r r a
Small Disturbance Theory (4)
X Z L N
, , , , etc. : stability derivatives
u w p r
Z L N
, , , etc. : control derivatives
e a r

The following simplified notations are used:

1 X 1 Y 1 Z
X ( ) Y() Z ( )
m () m () m ()
1 L 1 M 1 N
L() M ( ) N ( )
I xx () I yy () I zz ()
Small Disturbance Theory (5)
Also for small angular deviations (small angle):
sin( angle) angle cos( angle)
Results of small disturbance theory:
Linear EOM
Allow one to apply linear dynamical system theory, which is
easier and much more developed than nonlinear system theory
Longitudinal and lateral-directional motions are decoupled
Longitudinal motion can be analyzed separately from lateral-
directional motion, and
Longitudinal motion: translation in the xb and zb directions, and
rotation about yb-axis (pitch)
Lateral-directional motion: translation in the yb direction, and
rotation about the xb and zb axes (roll and yaw)
Linearized Longitudinal EOM
Apply small disturbance theory to longitudinal EOM:
u X u u X w w X e e X T T g cos 0
w u0 q Z u u Z w w Z w w Z q q Z e e ZT T g sin 0
q M u u M w w M w w M q q M e e M T T
The above equations can further be rearranged as follows:
u X u u X w w g cos 0 X e e X T T
(1 Z w )w Z u u Z w w ( Z q u0 )q g sin 0 Z e e ZT T
q M u u M w w M w w M q q M e e M T T
The linearized longitudinal EOM above can be expressed in
state-space form: x Ax Bu

T
State vector: x u w q
Control vector: u T
T from
e
State-Space Longitudinal EOM (1)
Xu Xw 0 g cos 0
Z q u0
u Zu Zw g sin 0 u
w 1 Z 1 Zw 1 Zw 1 Zw w


w

q M M w Z u Mw
M wZw
Mq
M w ( Z q u0 ) M w g sin 0 q
u 1 Z w 1 Zw 1 Zw 1 Zw

0 0 1 0

X e X T

Z e ZT

1 Zw 1 Zw e

M Z M w ZT T
M w e M T
e 1 Zw 1 Zw

0 0


State-Space Longitudinal EOM (2)
Sometimes, angle of attack instead of vertical velocity w
is used as the longitudinal state variable
Relationship between and w:

Relationship between stability and control derivatives

associated with and w (also and w):
() u0 () w () u0 () w
For example:
1 M 1 M 1 M
M u0 u0 M w
I yy I yy ( w / u0 ) I yy w
State-Space Longitudinal EOM (2)
Alternative state-space longitudinal EOM:
Xu X 0 g cos 0
Z q u0
u Zu Z g sin 0 u
u Z u0 Z u0 Z u0 Z


0

q M M Z u M Z
M Mq
M ( Z q u0 ) u0 M g sin 0 q
u u0 Z u0 Z u0 Z u0 Z

0 0 1 0

X e X T

Z e ZT

u0 Z u0 Z e

M Z M ZT T
M e M T
e u0 Z u0 Z

0 0


Linearized Lateral-Directional EOM
Apply small disturbance theory to lateral-directional EOM:
v u0 r Yv v Yp p Yr r Y r r g cos 0
p ( I xz I xx )r Lv v L p p Lr r L a a L r r
r ( I xz I zz )p N v v N p p N r r N a a N r r
The above equations can further be rearranged as follows:
v Yv v Yp p (Yr u0 )r g cos 0 Y r r
p ( I xz I xx )r Lv v L p p Lr r L a a L r r
r ( I xz I zz )p N v v N p p N r r N a a N r r
The linearized lateral-directional EOM above can be expressed
in state-space form: x Ax Bu

T
State vector: x v p r
Control vector: u r
T from
a
State-Space Lateral-Directional EOM (1)
Yv Yp Yr u0 g cos 0
v
v I xz I xz I xz
L
p v I N L
N L
Nr 0
p
v p p r
I xx I xx

xx

r N I xz L N I xz L N I xz L 0
r
v I zz v p
I zz
p r
I zz
r


0 1 tan 0 0

0 Yr

I xz I xz
a I
L N a L r N r
I xx a

xx

I xz
L r r
I xz
a
N L a N r
I zz I zz

0 0

() Lp
Note: ()

for example: L
1 I xz2 ( I xx I zz ) 1 I xz2 ( I xx I zz )
p
State-Space Lateral-Directional EOM (2)
Sometimes, sideslip angle instead of side velocity v
is used as the lateral-directional state variable
Relationship between and v:

Relationship between stability and control derivatives

associated with and v:
() u0 ()v
For example:
1 N 1 N 1 N
N u0 u0 N v
I zz I zz (v / u0 ) I zz v
State-Space Lateral-Directional EOM (2)
Alternative state-space lateral-directional EOM:
Y Yp Yr g
1 cos 0
u u u u0
0 0 0
L I xz N L I xz N L I xz N
p 0 p

p p r r
I xx I xx I xx r
r I I I
N xz L N p xz Lp N r xz Lr 0
I zz I zz I zz
tan 0
0 1 0
Y r
0
u 0
I I xz
L a xz
N a L r N r
I xx I xx a

N I xz L N I xz L r
a I zz a r
I zz r

0 0