Srinivasan Engineering College, Perambalur 621 212.

AUC R2013
Stability Derivatives

Aerodynamic Derivatives for Roll

Aerodynamic
Stability
Derivative
Symbol

C = coefficient

Name

Rolling moment due Aircraft rolls away from the direction of sideslip. Main causes are geometrical dihedral and/or wing
to sideslip.
sweep, and fuselage-induced airflow changes that place the wings at different angles of attack.

(Lateral
stability
produced
by
= sideslip angle dihedral effect)
l = roll moment

Description

Roll due to sideslip is proportional to sideslip angle, , and to the coefficient of lift, CL, up to the
stall, but may vary afterwards.
Roll rate commanded by aileron / spoilers is affected by sideslip angle and direction.
Wingtip washout, and / or flap deployment, reduce .
Depends on wing position relative to fuselage.
Decreased by wing taper and low aspect ratio (wingspan2/wing area).

l = roll moment
p = roll rate

Rolling moment due As an aircraft rolls in response to a disturbance, the angle of attack increases on the down-going wing
to roll rate. (Roll and decreases on the up-going wing. The resulting change in lift produces an opposing rolling moment.
damping)
The aircraft stops rolling. If the pilot holds aileron deflection, roll damping moment builds until its equal
to the opposing moment produced by the aileron deflection. Roll rate then becomes constant.
Roll damping disappears on wing sections at stall; autorotation is the reversal of roll damping.
Damping increases with the slope of the CL curve.
Reduced by low aspect ratios and/or wing taper.
Roll damping decreases with altitude.

Gurunath K. AE 6501 Flight Dynamics | 1

Srinivasan Engineering College, Perambalur 621 212.

+
l = roll moment

AUC R2013

Rolling moment due Yaw rate causes airflow velocity to increase on the advancing wing and decrease on the retreating wing,
to yaw rate.
causing a span wise change in lift and a rolling moment.
The effect follows the lift curve, becoming greatest at CLmax and then falling off after the stall.
( = approx. CL/4).

r = yaw rate

Rolling moment due to yaw rate contributes to spiral instability and to spin departure.
When entering a sideslip, rolling moments due to the temporary yaw rate and the growing sideslip
angle are additive.
Wingtip washout, and/or flap deployment, reduces .
Little affected by wing position on fuselage.
Increases with aspect ratio, decreases with wing taper.
Varies with the square of the difference in tip speed (since lift varies with V2).

Aerodynamic Derivatives for Yaw

Aerodynamic
Stability
Derivative
Symbol
+
n = yaw moment
= sideslip
angle

Name

Description

Yawing
moment Also known as weathercock stability. Aircraft yaws toward the direction of sideslip to align the
due to sideslip.
longitudinal, x-axis with the relative wind.
(Directional
stability)

The fuselage alone is usually destabilizing; principal stability contribution comes from vertical
tail, although swept wings are stabilizing, an effect that increases with CL.
Spiral instability occurs when directional stability is high and lateral stability is low.
Low directional stability and high lateral stability promotes Dutch roll.

Gurunath K. AE 6501 Flight Dynamics | 2

Srinivasan Engineering College, Perambalur 621 212.

AUC R2013

Yawing
moment The induced change in angle of attack on a rolling wing causes the lift vector to tilt back on the wing
due to roll rate.
going up, and forward on the wing going down. This adds components of thrust and drag, which produce
n = yaw moment
a yawing moment opposite the direction of roll (similar to adverse aileron yaw).
p = roll rate
Increases with aspect ratio, roll rate.
Increases with CL. ( = approx. CL/8).
Wingtip washout, and / or flap deployment, reduces .
Largely independent of taper.
Reverses effect when the wing goes into autorotation.

n = yaw moment
r = yaw rate

Yawing
moment When an aircraft has a yaw rate, opposing aerodynamic damping forces build up ahead and behind the
due to yaw rate.
centre of gravity.
(Yaw damping)

Main contribution comes from the vertical tail, but the forward fuselage can also contribute
(unlike , in which the fuselage forward of the wing is destabilizing).
Wings also contribute, since the advancing wing produces more induced and profile drag than
the retreating wing.
Wing contribution to yaw damping increases with angle of attack; the tails contribution may
decrease due to disrupted airflow at high .
Yaw damping decreases with altitude.

Gurunath K. AE 6501 Flight Dynamics | 3