Lecture 5 : Static Lateral Stability and Control

or how not to move like a crab

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

1.0 Lateral static stability

Lateral static stability refers to the ability of the aircraft to generate

a yawing moment to cancel disturbances in sideslip

V Question : Which direction should the

yawing moment act to align the aircraft with
the velocity vector ?

positive sideslip
G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control
1.1 Yawing moment variation with sideslip
Cn

1. Cn should be an anti symmetric function of 

2. Cn /  ( denoted as Cn  ) must be > 0 for lateral static
stability

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Figure 1.1 : F4 Wind tunnel data - yawing moment ( = 0o )

Observe

1. Positive slope

2. Quasi linear variation

3. Effect of rudder

Source : NASA TN D6425

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Figure 1.2 : F4 Wind tunnel data - Cn
Question : What happens at high AOA ?

Source : NASA TN D6425

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control
1.3 Quantifying static lateral stability

The aircraft yawing moment is:

X  V

n = ½V2 S b Cn
cg
Y

lv

Lv
G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control
The dominant contribution to the aircraft yawing moment comes
from the vertical tail …

ntail = ½  V2 Sv CLv lv

= ½  V2 Sv lv av [(1-)  +  r ]

Where
av : vertical tail lift curve slope
 : vertical tail sidewash factor

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Hence the aircraft yawing moment coefficient is approximately :

Cn = ntail / (1/2 V2 S b)

=  [(Sv lv)/ (Sb) ] av [(1-)  +  r ]

The yawing moment curve slope is

Cn =  Vv av (1-)

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

1.4 : Interpreting the vertical tail volume ratio

Similarly the effectiveness of the vertical tail is related to the

vertical tail volume ratio

Sv lv
Vv = -------
Sw b

lv : distance from aerodynamic center of vertical tail to cg

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Question : What are typical values for Vv ?

0.16 0.20 0.17 0.18 0.17 0.13 0.30 0.14 0.26 0.23 0.19

Comments ?

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

2.0 FAR Part 23.147 – Directional and lateral control

(a) For each multiengine airplane, it must be possible, while holding the wings level
within five degrees, to make sudden changes in heading safely in both
directions. …with the

(1) Critical engine inoperative and its propeller in the minimum drag position;
(2) ….

(b) For each multiengine airplane, it must be possible to regain full control of
the airplane without exceeding a bank angle of 45 degrees, reaching a dangerous
attitude or encountering dangerous characteristics, in the event of a sudden and
complete failure of the critical engine,

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

2.1 Directional stability - One Engine Inoperative (OEI) flight

For OEI flight, the rudder has to

deflect to cancel the torque from the
asymmetric thrust from the operative
engine.

Is the aircraft now trimmed ?

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

The aircraft is rolled towards the
operative engine

Z
G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control
2.2 Coupled rudder-aileron controls for OEI X

Torque from operative engine = -T le T

Rudder Torque = ½ V2 Sv av (r) lv

Assume steady flight T = D

Y
Hence
le
lv
or rtrim =
D

Fr

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

How much should you roll to maintain directional stability ?

Force balance in the Y direction Fr = W sin

Force balance in the Z direction L = W cos

The trim rudder force is

Fr = ½ V2 Sv av (rtrim )

Equating Fr =

tan =

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

2.3 FAR Part 25.147 – Directional and Lateral Control

(d) Lateral control; airplanes with four or more engines. Airplanes

with four or more engines must be able to make 20° banked turns,
with and against the inoperative engines, from steady flight at a
speed equal to 1.3 VSR1, with maximum continuous power, and
with the airplane in the configuration prescribed by paragraph (b)*
of this section.

Notes
* Two critical engines inoperative
VSR1 : reference stall speed for the specific configuration in paragraph (b)

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

3.0 FAR Part 23. 177 - Static directional and lateral stability

(b) The static lateral stability, as shown by the tendency to

raise the low wing in a sideslip, must be positive for all
landing gear and flap positions. …

Question ? What’s “raise the low wing in a sideslip” ?

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

 3.1 Roll static stability – the dihedral effect

In the OEI example, a sideslip disturbance was countered by

rolling the aircraft.
Now we are concerned with a roll disturbance and how to
counter it by using the resulting sideslip. ( ! ? )

L L is vectored off

Y
+ve roll
disturbance Z Y
Z G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control
Define Cl = (Cl )/ as the rate of change of rolling moment
with respect to sideslip

Question : For the aircraft to be statically stable in roll, i.e.

have a self correcting tendency, what should the sign of Cl
be ?

Wings return
Need a –ve rolling to level
moment to counter poisiton
disturbance
Y

Z Y
Z
G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control
3.2 Estimating the dihedral effect

Consider a +ve sideslip

Y

Vs

Vb Z

Resolve the sideward velocity Vs into components parallel Vb

and normal Vn to the wing.

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Hence the angle of attack for is effectively

Vn
Right wing section
V

Left wing section

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

 For small sideslip, the sideward
V velocity is:

X Vs =

For small wing dihedral angle

, the normal component of Vs
Y
is :
Vn =

The change in angle of attack

is:
 

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Now consider the wing section at location y of chord c(y) and
with dy.
X
The incremental rolling moment dl due to y dy
this section and the corresponding one on
the left wing is :
Y

dl = -(½V2 dS CL) x (2y)

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Hence the total rolling moment due to the dihedral effect is:

b/2
l =  dl = -V2 a   y c(y)dy
0

The dihedral effect is measured by :

b/2
Cl = -a 2  y c(y)dy
0
Sb

For a linearly tapered wing, this works out to

Cl = - (a/6) (1+2)/(1+) 

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control

Example : Assessing roll static stability

So dihedral is a “good” thing, right ? What about this …

G. Leng, Flight Dynamics, Stability & Control