GATE Aerospace Coaching by Team IGC

AIRCRAFT STABILITY

“Any mechanical system when subjected to the small distance and if the system tends to
maintain its original equilibrium state by applying restoring force, then the system is said to be
stable”.

If the system does not react to the disturbance and maintain its new position as an
equilibrium state, then the system is said to be ‘Neutrally stable’.

If the systems reacts to the disturbance and keep moving away from its original
equilibrium state, then the system is called ‘Unstable system’.
 Stability

Static stability
Dynamic stability

Here, system response is

stability state without being dynamically stable that is a statically stable system may not
be dynamically stable.

Dynamic stability

Positive stable Neutral stable Negative unstable

When system is statically stable and tends to attain the equilibrium position by an “under
damped” oscillation.

(B). Neutral Dynamic Stability

A mechanical system which tends to achieve original equilibrium position but keeps
overshooting it by oscillating about it with a “constant amplitude”.

(C). Negative Dynamic Stability

A mechanical system which tends to achieve original equilibrium position but keep
overshooting it by oscillating about it with “increasing amplitude with time”.
Parameter Notation

Sign notation
 With respect to C.G of an aircraft

For pitching,

Nose up-positive sign (+ve)

Nose down-negative sign (-ve)

For rolling,

Right wing (star board side) down (+ve)

Right wing (star board side) up (-ve)

For yawing,

Turning towards right wing (+ve)

Away from right wing (-ve)

Moments on the Airplane:-

A study of stability and control is focused on moment

The moment can be taken about any ability point,(i.e) leading edge, taken edge or
Aerodynamic center of the wings.

Moment at aerodynamic center:-

As per definition of aerodynamic center, the pitching moment coefficient remains

 ac
C mac 
q sc

Now at zero lift coefficient for a flying wing

Cmac  (Cm , c / a ) L0  Cm , anypoint L0

Moment on airplane:-

Consider the system of force as shown in figure

Moment about C.G an aircraft will be calculated for L, D and  ac of the wing, thrust of
the aircraft, lift of the tail and aerodynamic forces and moments on the parts of the aircraft.

M cg  f ( L, D, T , LTail , other forces)

Here, weight of the aircraft will not be considered for obvious reasons

M cg f ( L, D, T , L Tail , other forces)

All the discussions of the stability of an airplane will be done by considering C mcg.
Absolute angle of attack :-

Zero lift line :-

Consider a wing at an angle of attack such that lift is zero, that is the wing is at the zero
lift angle of attack (𝛼𝐿=0 ) , as shown in figure.

A line drawn through the trailing edge parallel to the relative wind 𝑈∞ is called “zero lift
line”.

Now if wing is pitched to some angle of attack, when there is a positive lift.

Where,

𝛼𝑎 ⇒ Angle between zero lift line and free stream velocity.

𝛼𝑎 = 𝛼 + 𝛼𝐿=0 ⇒ Absolute Angle of attack

“The angle between zero lift line and free stream velocity is called Absolute angle of
attack”.
Criteria for longitudinal static stability :-

Consider a rigid airplane with fixed controls, is being tested in a wind tunnel or free
flight, then its variation of 𝑀𝑐𝑔 with angle of attack has been measured.
 When,

𝛼𝑎 = 0 ⇒ 𝐿 = 0 Irrespective of camber

Statically Stable :-

If an aircraft tends to move back towards its equilibrium position after being disturbed,
then it is called statically stable.

If aircraft is nose up, it should have negative moment and vice versa.

𝑑𝐶𝑚𝑐𝑔
<0 for static stable
𝑑𝛼

𝑑𝐶𝑚𝑐𝑔
if =0 Statically Neutral
𝑑𝛼

𝑑𝐶𝑚𝑐𝑔
if >0 Statically Unstable
𝑑𝛼
Contribution of the wing 𝑴𝒄𝒈 :-

Taking moment about C.G

For normal flight operation 𝛼𝑤 is small

𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛼𝑤 = 1 ; 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛼𝑤 ≅ 𝛼𝑤

𝑀𝑐𝑔 = 𝑀𝑎𝑐 + (𝐿𝑤 + 𝐷𝑤 𝛼𝑤 )(ℎ − ℎ𝑎𝑐𝑤 ) + (𝐿𝑤 𝛼𝑤 − 𝐷𝑤 )𝜉𝑐 → (2)

h and z are coordinate of C.G in the function of chord length

Dividing equation (2) by ‘𝑞∞ 𝑆𝑐’

𝐶𝑚𝑐𝑔 = 𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑐 + (𝐶𝐿𝑤 + 𝐶𝐷𝑤 𝛼𝑤 )(ℎ − ℎ𝑎𝑐𝑤 ) + (𝐶𝐿𝑤 𝛼𝑤 − 𝐶𝐷𝑤 )𝜉 → (3)

Now 𝜉 is very small and can be neglected. Also 𝐶𝐷𝑤 𝛼𝑤 is very small number

𝐶𝑚𝑐𝑔 = 𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑐 + 𝐶𝐿𝑤 (ℎ − ℎ𝑎𝑐𝑤 ) → (4)

Now

𝑑𝐶𝐿𝑤
𝐶𝐿𝑤 = ( ) 𝛼𝑤 = 𝑎𝑤 𝛼𝑤
𝑑𝛼

aw = lift slop of the wing

𝐶𝑚,𝑐𝑔 = 𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑐𝑤 + 𝑎𝑤 𝛼𝑤 (ℎ − ℎ𝑎𝑐𝑤 ) → (5)

𝐶𝑚,𝑐𝑔 = 𝑓(𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑐 , 𝑎𝑤 , 𝛼𝑤 , ℎ , ℎ𝑎𝑐𝑤 )

If fuselage is considered with wins

Wing body configuration

𝐶𝐿𝑤𝐵 , 𝛼𝑤𝐵 , 𝑎𝑤𝐵 , ℎ𝑎𝑐𝑤𝐵

𝐶𝑚,𝑐𝑔,𝑤𝐵 = 𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑐𝑤𝐵 + 𝑎𝑤𝐵 𝛼𝑤𝐵 (ℎ − ℎ𝑎𝑐𝑎𝑤 )

Qus ). A wing body model is tested in a subsonic wind tunnel. The lift is found to be zero at a
geometric angle of attack 𝛼 = −1.5𝑜 . at = 5𝑜 , the lift coefficient is measured as 0.52.

𝛼 = 1.0𝑜 moment coefficient 𝑀𝑐𝑔 = −0.01

𝛼 = 7.88𝑜 𝑀𝑐𝑔 = 0.05

The center of gravity is located at 0.35 .calculate the location of aerodynamic center and the
value of 𝐶𝑚,𝑎𝑐,𝑤𝐵

Sol :-

𝑑𝐶𝐿 0.52−0
Lift slope 𝑎𝑤𝐵 = = = 0.08 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒
𝑑𝛼 5−(−1.5)

𝐶𝑚𝑐𝑔𝑤𝐵 = 𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑐𝑤𝐵 + 𝑎𝑤𝐵 𝛼𝑤𝐵 (ℎ − ℎ𝑎𝑐𝑤𝐵 ) → (1)

At 𝛼 = 1.0𝑜 here 𝛼 is the geometric angle of attack

𝛼𝑤𝐵 is the Absolute angle of attack

𝛼𝑤𝐵 = 𝛼 + 𝛼𝐿=0

= 1.0𝑜 + 1.5𝑜 = 2.5𝑜

Using (i)

𝐶𝑚𝑐𝑔 = −0.01for𝛼 = 1.0𝑜

−0.01 = 𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑐𝑤𝐵 + 0.08(2.5) (ℎ − ℎ𝑎𝑐𝑤𝐵 ) → (2)

At 𝛼 = 7.88𝑜 𝐶𝑚𝑐𝑔 = 0.05

0.05 = 𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑐𝑤𝐵 + 0.03(7.88 + 1.5)(ℎ − ℎ𝑎𝑐𝑤𝐵 ) → (3)

Solving equation (2) and (3) for 𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑐 and ℎ𝑎𝑐𝑤𝐵 we have ℎ = 0.35
𝑤𝐵
 ℎ𝑎𝑐𝑤𝐵 = 0.29

Also,

𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑐𝑤𝐵 = −0.032

Aerodynamic center is located at 0.29𝑐