FLIGHT STABILITY AND DYNAMICS NOTES

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5. Flight Stability and Dynamics

5.1 Stability of Aircraft

5.1.1 Types of Stability
Stability is the characteristic of an aircraft which enables it to be flown without control actions in
a straight and level flight condition.

The aircrafts response to disturbance is associated with the inherent degree of stability built in
by the designer, in each of the three axes. Another condition affecting the flight stability is the
aircrafts state of trim: some aircraft can be trimmed by the pilot to fly hands off for straight and
level flight, or even for climb or descent.

Refer to Figure 1.

An aircrafts stability is expressed in relation to each axis:

longitudinal stability = stability in pitch
lateral stability = stability in roll
directional stability = stability in yaw.

Longitudinal Stability

Refer to Figure 2.

Longitudinal stability is achieved about the lateral (or: pitch) axis of an aircraft. The construction
of the horizontal stabiliser, its angle of incidence in respect to the chord of the stabiliser and the
longitudinal axis of the aircraft in combination with the elevator provide longitudinal stability.

A longitudinally stable aircraft will maintain level flight without requiring the pilot to continually
make adjustments to the controls.

An aircraft has longitudinal stability because of the relationship between its center of gravity and
the center of lift. This aircraft has its center of lift behind the center of gravity. The nose-down
rotation is counteracted by a nose-up force caused by the downward load on the tail. The nose-
down force caused by the CGs position ahead of the center of lift is fixed and does not change
with airspeed. The tail load is speed-dependant: the higher the airspeed, the greater the
downward force on the tail.

If the aircraft is trimmed for level flight with the pilots hands off the controls, and a wind gust
causes the nose to drop, the aircraft will nose down and the airspeed will increase. As the
airspeed increases, the tail load increases and pulls the nose back to its level flight condition.

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If the nose is forced up, the airspeed will drop off, and the tail load will decrease enough to allow
the nose to drop back to level flight.

Lateral Stability

Refer to Figure 3.

Lateral stability is a term used to refer to both rolling and yawing moments. Lateral stability is
achieved about the longitudinal axis of an aircraft. The wings and their dihedral construction
provide lateral stability. The ailerons fitted on the wings provide lateral control.

Most aircraft wings tilt upward from the fuselage, and this upward angle (called a dihedral) gives
the aircraft lateral stability.

The aircraft is flying with the pilots hands and feet off the controls. If a wind gust causes the
right wing to drop, the air striking the descending wing will increase its angle of attack, and the
air striking the left rising wing will decrease its angle of attack. Since lift is determined by the
angle of attack, the uneven lift will bring the aircraft back to level flight.

Directional Stability

Refer to Figure 4.

Directional stability is achieved about the vertical axis of an aircraft. The construction of the
vertical stabiliser (fin) together with the rudder provide directional stability.

Directional stability causes the nose of an aircraft to turn into the relative wind when it has been
disturbed from this condition. It is achieved primarily by the weather-vane tendency of the
vertical fin.

When the aircraft is flying straight into the wind, the air flows evenly around the fin, and there is
no sideways force on the tail. If a wind gust strikes the aircraft and forces the nose e.g. to the
right, the air striking the vertical fin gives it an angle of attack.

This increases the lift on the right hand side and pulls the tail around until the aircraft is heading
back into the relative wind.

Propeller Slipstream

Refer to Figure 5.


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An aircrafts propeller forces air to rotate around the fuselage in a corkscrew-like manner. This
causes the air to strike the vertical fin in such a way that it produces an angle of attack which
results in a sideways force.

To prevent this yawing force, most single-engine, propeller driven aircraft have the leading edge
of the vertical fin offset a few degrees. This places the fin directly into the relative wind when the
aircraft is flying at its normal cruising airspeed, with its engine running at a specific speed.

Sweepback

Refer to Figure 6.

The sweepback of wings, normally a measure designed to improve high speed aerodynamics,
also has an effect on directional stability.

When an aircraft with a swept-back wing is struck by an air gust that causes the nose to yaw
e.g. to the left, the right wing moves into the wind and the left wing moves back. More air is now
flowing straight back across the right wing, producing more induced drag than the left wing. As a
result the nose is pulled back to the right.

5.1.2 Static Stability

Static stability of an aircraft means that the aircraft after being disturbed from its attitude by a
gust or other influences will return to its former attitude without the help of a pilot. Static stability
is performed by construction.

If the nose of an aircraft that has positive longitudinal static stability is forced up or down, and
the controls are released, established forces will bring the nose back to level flight.

Static stability can further be classified according to the nature of the aircraft response to forces
tending to displace it from a steady flight path:

Refer to Figure 7.

Stability is said to be positive when the aircraft is able to recover its original steady flight
path without requiring correction.
Stability is said to be neutral when the aircraft, after displacement, maintains the
displaced attitude, i.e. it will recover its original attitude only after correction.
Stability is said to be negative if the disturbing forces and moments cause the aircraft to
assume an entirely different attitude.

5.1.3 Dynamic Stability


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Static stability is the production of a restorative force to bring an aircraft back to a condition of
straight and level flight. Dynamic stability is the decrease of these forces with time.

Dynamic stability refers to the oscillatory behaviour of an aircraft in response to a disturbing
force.

Refer to Figure 8.

The oscillating behaviour of an aircraft in relation to the time taken for a complete recovery is a
measure of dynamic stability. Complete recovery should, of course, be possible without any
pilots effort.

Dynamic stability of an aircraft is achieved by the help of secondary control surfaces which are
attached or integrated into the primary control surfaces of an aircraft. Small surfaces like trim
tabs at the ailerons, elevator and rudder will correct disturbing influences such as different fuel
capacities in the several fuel tanks in the fuselage or wings. These trim tabs are controlled by
the pilot.

Although stability of an aircraft about all 3 axis is required, instability or indifference is produced
by construction
by incorrect handling of the trim devices.

5.1.4 Degree of Stability

The degree of stability is a very important factor as it limits the degree of control for any
particular category of aircraft. As mentioned above, stability is defined as the property (or
capability) of a system (aircraft) to return to (or remain in) a state of equilibrium after having
been disturbed and moved from a state of steady and unaccelerated flight. This definition,
applied to an aircraft, is read:

An aircraft will statically be stable if it returns to its steady flight condition, i.e. to the state of
static equilibrium, as soon as the disturbing force has stopped acting.

Static stability is important, but will not be sufficient to ensure safe, controlled flying. An aircraft
must have a certain level of dynamic stability in addition to static stability:

An aircraft will dynamically be stable if it returns to its original steady flight attitude, i.e. to the
state of dynamic equilibrium, without undergoing large changes in pitch attitude.

Refer to Figure 8 again.


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Some aircraft recover their original steady flight attitude without undergoing large displacements
in pitch. Other aircraft may need large displacements. Unstable aircraft will never at all recover
the original attitude again.

Refer to Figure 9.

An aircraft with positive static stability and positive dynamic stability will oscillate with damped
oscillations as it returns to its original condition.

An aircraft with positive static and neutral dynamic stability will oscillate with undamped
oscillations.

An aircraft with positive static stability and negative dynamic stability will, when disturbed,
oscillate with divergent oscillations.

Summing up, static stability is an essential prerequisite for dynamic stability. The converse is
not true. This means that it is possible to have a statically stable system without necessarily
being dynamically stable. On the other hand a statically unstable aircraft will never have
dynamic stability.