LESSON: Airplane Stability and Controllability OBJECTIVE: To develop the students understanding of aircraft Stability and Controllability ELEMENTS:

Static stability Dynamic stability Stability about the Axes of Rotation Controllability

SCHEDULE:

Static stability Dynamic stability

EQUIPMENT:

Appropriate textbooks Chalkboard & chalk Model aircraft Appropriate slides/Visual Aids

INSTRUCTORS ACTIONS:

Discuss lesson objective Introduce the concept of aircraft stability Discuss Static stability Dynamic stability Ask pertinent questions to determine students understanding Assign appropriate study material

STUDENTS ACTIONS:

Listen, take notes, ask questions Respond to instructors questions Leave with a framework understanding of the subject

COMPLETEION STANDARDS: The student should demonstrate adequate understanding of aircraft stability by successfully completing an oral quiz or written exam

Introduction Attention/Motivation It is important for a pilot to understand what kind of stability is built into the aircraft they are flying. You wouldnt want to take an airplane that has negative dynamic stability flying on a bumpy day. Overview

This lesson begins with a discussion of stability in general, introduces the axes around which an airplane moves, and finally discusses the relationship between stability and controllability DEVELOPMENT

Stability is the inherent ability of an object, after it is moved, to develop forces that tend to return it to its original position A stable airplane will tend to return to its original attitude and airspeed after it is disturbed with little or no help from the pilot Stability is classified into three types, positive, neutral and negative Objects display two types of stability, static and dynamic

Static Stability

Three types of static stability, positive, neutral & negative Static (at rest) stability is the initial tendency of an object to return to its original position after being disturbed An airplane displays positive static stability if after the controls are pushed foreword and released the airplane initially makes a move back toward the original position An airplane displays neutral static stability if after the controls are pushed foreword and released the airplane stays where it is An airplane displays negative static stability if after the controls are pushed foreword and released the airplane initially moves further away from the original position

Dynamic Stability

If an airplane is positively stable it will then display dynamic stability Three types of dynamic stability, positive, neutral & negative

dynamic (active) stability is the overall response of an object to its static stability An airplane displays positive dynamic stability if after airplane is disturbed the overall pattern of movements become progressively smaller An airplane displays negative dynamic stability if after airplane is disturbed the overall pattern of movements continues unchanged An airplane displays negative dynamic stability if after airplane is disturbed the overall pattern of movements become progressively larger

Axis of Rotation

3 Axis: Longitudinal, Lateral, & Vertical The longitudinal axis runs from the front to back of the airplane The aircraft rolls (nose rotates left and right with respect to the pilot) around the longitudinal axis The lateral axis runs from the left to right of the airplane The aircraft pitches (nose moves up and down with respect to the pilot) around the lateral axis The vertical axis runs from the top to bottom of the airplane The aircraft yaws (nose swings left and right with respect to the pilot) around the vertical axis

Longitudinal Stability

Pitch movement about the lateral axis Most affected by pilot, especially aircraft loading Factors that affect longitudinal Stability are Center of Gravity (CG) and Center of lift and horizontal stabilizer down force (vertical forces diagram) In a conventional airplane the Horizontal stabilizer provides longitudinal stability with a down force Horizontal Stabilizer is an upside-down wing. Nose moves up (tail down), horizontal stabilizers angle of attack decreases, reduces lift and the nose moves back down Nose moves down (tail up), horizontal stabilizers angle of attack increases, produces more lift and the pushes the nose moves back up If the center of gravity moves too close to or behind the center of lift the airplane will become unstable

Lateral Stability

Roll movement about the longitudinal axis Most common design factor for insuring positive lateral stability is wing dihedral. Positive dihedral is when the wing tips are higher than the wing root Another common design for insuring positive lateral stability is wing position

High wing aircraft are more laterally stable than low wings (everything held constant) High wing aircraft require less dihedral than low wing aircraft

Directional Stability

Yaw movement about the Vertical axis Vertical stabilizer, and the fuselage behind the CG to a lesser extent, provide directional stability Vertical stabilizer acts like the tail feathers on an arrow Swept back wings, and double taper wings to a lesser extent, also provide directional stability. Increased induced drag on the wing that is moved forward pulls it back, Causes Dutch roll tendency

Controllability

Controllability - Capability of an aircraft to respond to the pilots control inputs Maneuverability- Quality of an airplane that allows it to be easily controlled and maneuvered and not brake apart and fly out of control in the process Maneuverability is a design consideration. An F-16 sacrifices stability for controllability, maneuverability CONCLUSION

A stable airplane will tend to return to its original position after it is disturbed Static (at rest) stability is the initial tendency, either positive, neutral or negative dynamic (active) stability is the overall response, either positive, neutral or negative 3 Axis: Longitudinal Pitch, Lateral - Roll, & Vertical Yaw Horizontal stabilizer provides longitudinal stability Wing dihedral & position provide lateral stability Vertical stabilizer provides directional stability Controllability and Maneuverability are a tradeoff for stability