Chapter 5
Airplanes Stability and Control
Desired Restoring Moment (-Mcg )
Disturbance (+a )
Coordinate System
Control Surfaces
Longitudinal Control Analysis
Stability Definition
Longitudinal Stability
Directional Stability and
Control
Lateral Stability and Control
5.2 Coordinate System
Figure 1 Definition of the airplane's axes along with the
translational and rotational motion along and about these axes.
The aircraft has six degrees of freedom
The translational motion
Velocity components U, V, and W along the x, y,
and z directions
The rotational motion
Angular velocity components P, Q, and R about
the x, y, z axes
Roll Rotational motion about the x axis
Pitch Rotational motion about the y axis
Yaw Rotational motion about the z axis
multiply
equal to
5.2 Control Principles
Function of the conventional control surfaces
(elevators, ailerons, and rudder)
(1) to change the airplane from one equilibrium position
to another and
(2) to produce nonequilibrium accelerated motions
such as maneuvers.
Airplane control
The study of the deflections of the ailerons, elevators,
and rudder necessary to make the airplane do what we
want and of the amount of force that must be exerted by
the pilot (or the hydraulic boost system) to deflect these
controls is part of a discipline called airplane control.
Control Surfaces
Aileron
Wing
Elevator
Horizontal stabilizer
Aileron
Vertical stabilizer
Rudder
Figure 2 Some airplane nomenclature.
Effect of control deflections
Rolling moment
Aileron up
Aileron down
(a) Effect of aileron deflection; lateral control.
Pitching moment
Elevator up
(b) Effect of elevator deflection; longitudinal control.
Figure 3 Effect of control deflections on roll, pitch, and yaw.
Yawing moment
Rudder deflected
(c) Effect of rudder deflection; directional control.
Figure 4 Effect of control deflections on roll, pitch, and yaw.
Summary
Rolling (about the x axis) is also called lateral motion.
Ailerons control roll; hence they are known as lateral
controls.
Pitching (about the y axis) is also called longitudinal
motion. Elevators control pitch; hence they are
known as longitudinal controls.
Yawing (about the z axis) is also called directional
motion. Rudder controls yaw; hence it is known as
the directional control.
5.4
Definition of stability and control
1 Static Stability
(a) Statically stable system.
(b) Statically unstable
system
(c) Statically neutral system.
Figure 6 Illustration of static stability.
Statically stable
If the forces and moments on the body caused by a
disturbance tend initially to return the body toward its
equilibrium position, the body is statically stable.
The body has positive static stability.
Statically unstable
If the forces and moments are such that the body continues
to move away from its equilibrium position after being
disturbed, the body is statically unstable.
The body has negative static stability.
Neutrally stable
If the body is disturbed to another location, the moments
will still be zero, and it will still be in equilibrium. Such a
system is neutrally stable.
Unstability
2 Dynamic Stability
Dynamically stable
e trim angle of attack
A body is dynamically stable if, out of its own accord,
it eventually returns to and remains at its equilibrium
position over a period of time.
Figure 7 Disturbance from the equilibrium angle of attack.
Figure 8 Examples of dynamic stability.
Dynamically unstable
The
equilibrium position is never maintained for any
A
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period of time, and the airplane eventually diverges
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Figure 7.9 An example of dynamic instability.
Three types of dynamic stability
5.5 Longitudinal Control Analysis
Longitudinal Trim
5.5 Longitudinal Control Analysis
Control Authority
Stabilator Leading-Edge Slots
Figure 5-7. Leading-Edge Slots to Increase CLmax on the Stabilator of the F-4E
5.6 Longitudinal Stability
Desired Restoring Moment (-Mcg )
Disturbance (+ a)
V
5.6 Longitudinal Stability
V
Displacement (-
Desired Restoring Moment (+Mcg )
Flying wing
5.7 Directional Stability
Figure 5-14. Top View of an Aircraft in Sideslip.
5.7 Directional Stability
5.7 Lateral Stability
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