Chapter 4
Dynamic of flights

4.1 Wing geometry
4.2 Summary of main equations
4.3 images and plots collected
4.4 Some strange shaped airplanes
4.5 links
4.6 references

4.1 Wing geometry

Cr below is the core chord of the wing.

This is a diagram to use to generate equations of longitudinal equilibrium.

This distance is called the stick-fixed static margin km=(hnh)c¯ Must be positive for static stability

4.2 Summary of main equations

4.2.1 definitions

This table contain some definitions and equations that can be useful.

#

equation

meaning/use

1

CL=CLαα=CLαα=aα

CL is lift coefficient. α is angle of attack. a is slope CLα which is the same as CLα

2

CLw=CLwαα

wing lift coefficient

3

CD=CDmin+kCL2

drag coefficient

4

Cmw=Cmacw+(CLw+CDminαw)(hhnw)+(CLαwCDw)zc¯

pitching moment coefficient due to wing only about the C.G. of the airplane assuming small αw. This is simplified more by assuming CDwαwCLw and (CLαwCDw)1

5

Cmw=Cmacw+CLw(hhnw)

simplified wing Pitching moment

6

Cmwb=Cmacwb+CLwb(hhnw)=Cmacwb+CLwbαwbαwb(hhnw)=Cmacwb+awbαwb(hhnw)

simplified pitching moment coefficient  due to wing and body about the C.G. of the airplane. αwb is the angle of attack

7

CLt=Lt12ρV2St

CLt is the lift coefficient generated by tail. St is the tail area. V is airplane air speed

8

L=Lwb+Lt

total lift of airplane. Lwb is lift due to body and wing and Lt is lift due to tail

9

CL=CLwb+StSCLt

coefficient of total lift of airplane. CLwb is coefficient of lift due to wing and body. CLt is lift coefficient due to tail. S is the total wing area. St is tail area

10

Mt=ltLt=ltCLt12ρV2St

pitching moment due to tail about C.G. of airplane

11

Cmt=Mt12ρV2Stc¯=ltc¯StSCLt=VHCLt

pitching moment coefficient due to tail. VH=ltc¯StS is called tail volume

12

VH=ltc¯StSV¯H=l¯tc¯StS

introducing V¯H bar tail volume which is VH but uses l¯t instead of lt. Important note. VH depends on location of C.G., but V¯H does not. l¯t=lt+(hhnwb)c¯

13

Cmt=V¯HCLt+CLtStS(hhnwb)

pitching moment coefficient due to tail expressed using V¯H. This is the one to use.

14

Cmp

pitching moment coefficient due to propulsion about airplane C.G.

15

Cm=Cmwb+Cmt+Cmp

total airplane pitching moment coefficient about airplane C.G.

16

Cm=Cmwb+Cmt+Cmp=[Cmacwb+CLwb(hhnw)]+[V¯HCLt+CLtStS(hhnwb)]+Cmp=Cmacwb+(CLwb+CLtStS)CL(hhnw)V¯HCLt+Cmp=Cmacwb+CL(hhnw)V¯HCLt+Cmp

simplified total Pitching moment coefficient about airplane C.G.

17

Cmα=Cmacwbα+CLα(hhnw)V¯HCLtα+CmpαCmα=Cmacwbα+CLα(hhnw)V¯HCLtα+Cmpα

derivative of total pitching moment coefficient Cm w.r.t airplane angle of attack α

18

hn=hnwb1CLα(CmacwbαV¯HCLtα+Cmpα)

location of airplane neutral point of airplane found by setting Cmα=0 in the above equation

19

Cmα=CLα(hhn)Cmα=CLα(hhn)

rewrite of Cmα in terms of hn. Derived using the above two equations.

20

kn=hnh

static margin. Must be Positive for static stability

4.2.0.1 Writing the equations in linear form

The following equations are derived from the above set of equation using what is called the linear form. The main point is to bring into the equations the expression for CLt written in term of αwb. This is done by expressing the tail angle of attack αt in terms of αwb via the downwash angle and the it angle. CLwbαwbin the above equations are replaced by awb and CLtαt is replaced by at. This replacement says that it is a linear relation between CL and the corresponding angle of attack. The main of this rewrite is to obtain an expression for Cm in terms of αwb where αt is expressed in terms of αwb, hence αt do not show explicitly. The linear form of the equations is what from now on.

#

equation

meaning/use

1

CLwb=CLwbαwbαwb=awbαwbCLt=atαtCmp=Cm0p+Cmpαα

awb is constant, represents CLwbαwb and Cm0p is propulsion pitching moment coeff. at zero angle of attack α

2

αt=αwbitϵϵ=ϵ0+ϵααwb

main relation that associates αwb with αt. αwb is the wing-body angle of attack, ϵ is downwash angle at tail, and it is tail angle with horizontal reference (see diagram)

3

CLt=atαt=at[αwb(1ϵα)itϵ0]

Lift due to tail expressed using αwb and ϵ (notice that αt do not show explicitly)

4

a=awb[1+atawbStS(1ϵα)]

a defined for use with overall lift coefficient

5

CL=CLwbawbαwb+StSCLt=awbαwb+StSat[αwb(1ϵα)itϵ0]=aα=(CL)αwb=0+aαwb

overall airplane lift using linear relations

6

α=αwbataStS(it+ϵ0) pict

overall angle of attack α as function of the wing and body angle of attack αwb and tail angles

7

Cm=Cm0+Cmαα=Cm0+CmααCm=C¯m0+Cmααwb=C¯m0+Cmααwb

overall airplane pitch moment. Two versions one uses αwb and one uses α

8

Cmα=a(hhnwb)atV¯H(1ϵα)+CmpαCmα=awb(hhnwb)atVH(1ϵα)+Cmpα

Two versions of Cmα one for αwb and one one uses α

9

Cm0=Cmacwb+Cmop+atV¯H(ϵ0+it)[1ataStS(1ϵα)]C¯m0=Cmacwb+C¯mop+atVH(ϵ0+it)

Cm0 is total pitching moment coef. at zero lift (does not depend on C.G. location) but C¯m0 is total pitching moment coef. at αwb=0 (not at zero lift). This depends on location of C.G.

10

C¯m0p=Cm0p+(ααwb)Cmpα

11

hn=hnwb+ataV¯H(1ϵα)1aCmpα=hnwb+atawb[1+atawbStS(1ϵα)]V¯H(1ϵα)1awb[1+atawbStS(1ϵα)]Cmpα

Used to determine hn

4.2.1 definitions

  1. Remember that for symmetric airfoil, when the chord is parallel to velocity vector, then the angle of attack is zero, and also the left coefficient is zero. But this is only for symmetric airfoil. For the common campbell airfoil shape, when the chord is parallel to the velocity vector, which means the angle of attack is zero, there will still be lift (small lift, but it is there). What this means, is that the chord line has to tilt down more to get zero lift. This extra tilting down makes the angle of attack negative. If we now draw a line from the right edge of the airfoil parallel to the velocity vector, this line is called the zero lift line (ZLL) see diagram below.
    Just remember, that angle of attack (which is always the angle between the chord and the velocity vector, the book below calls it the geometrical angle of attack) is negative for zero lift. This is when the airfoil is not symmetric. For symmetric airfoil, ZLL and the chord line are the same. This angle is small, 30 or so. Depending on shape. See Foundations of Aerodynamics, 5th ed, by Chow and Kuethe, here is the diagram.

  2. stall from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stall_(flight)

    In fluid dynamics, a stall is a reduction in the lift coefficient 
    generated by a foil as angle of attack increases.[1] This occurs when 
    the critical angle of attack of the foil is exceeded. The critical 
    angle of attack is typically about 15 degrees, but it 
    may vary significantly depending on the fluid, foil, and Reynolds number.
     
    
  3. Aerodynamics in road vehicle wiki page
  4. some demos relating to airplane control http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/ControllingAirplaneFlight/

    http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/ThePhysicsOfFlight/

  5. http://www.americanflyers.net/aviationlibrary/pilots_handbook/chapter_3.htm
  6. Lectures Helicopter Aerodynamics and Dynamics by Prof. C. Venkatesan, Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT Kanpur http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKWj2WzYXtQ&list=PLAE677E56C97A7C7D
  7. http://avstop.com/ac/apgeneral/terminology.html has easy to understand definitions airplane geometry. "The MAC is the mean average chord of the wing"
  8. http://www.tdmsoftware.com/afd/afd.html airfoil design software

4.3 images and plots collected

These are diagrams and images collected from different places. References is given next to each image.

This below from http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/UEET/StudentSite/dynamicsofflight.html

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/airplane/alr.html

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lift_coefficient and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aeroforces.svg

from http://adg.stanford.edu/aa241/drag/sweepncdc.html

Images from http://adamone.rchomepage.com/cg_calc.htm and Flight dynamics principles by Cook, 1997.

From http://chrusion.com/BJ7/SuperCalc7.html

From http://www.willingtons.com/aircraft_center_of_gravity_calcu.html

From http://www.solar-city.net/2010/06/airplane-control-surfaces.html nice diagram that shows clearly how the elevator causes the pitching motion (nose up/down). From same page, it says "The purpose of the flaps is to generate more lift at slower airspeed, which enables the airplane to fly at a greatly reduced speed with a lower risk of stalling."

Images from flight dynamics principles, by Cook, 1997.

Images from Performance, stability, dynamics and control of Airplanes. By Pamadi, AIAA press. Page 169. and http://www.americanflyers.net/aviationlibrary/pilots_handbook/chapter_3.htm

Image from http://www.americanflyers.net/aviationlibrary/pilots_handbook/chapter_3.htm

Image from http://www.americanflyers.net/aviationlibrary/pilots_handbook/chapter_3.htm

Image from FAA pilot handbook and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uT55aei1NI

Image http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uT55aei1NI and http://www.youtube.com/user/DAMSQAZ?feature=watch

4.4 Some strange shaped airplanes

Image http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/16/travel/inside-airbus-beluga/index.html?hpt=ibu_c2

Image from http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/16/travel/inside-airbus-beluga/index.html?hpt=ibu_c2

Image from http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/Features/super_guppy.html

Image from http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/aerodynamics/q0130.shtml "Boeing Pelican ground effect vehicle"

  1. https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/search.html?redirect=1&tags=airplane

4.6 references

  1. Etkin and Reid, Dynamics of flight, 3rd edition.
  2. Cook, Flight Dynamics principles, third edition.
  3. Lecture notes, EMA 523 flight dynamics and control, University of Wisconsin, Madison by Professor Riccardo Bonazza
  4. Kuethe and Chow, Foundations of Aerodynamics, 4th edition