Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
We have seen a lot of stability derivatives in previous chapters. However, it would be nice to know
their values. We’re therefore going to derive some relations for them. In this chapter, we will look at
longitudinal stability derivatives. In the next chapter, we’ll examine lateral stability derivatives.
Here, α0 is the initial angle of attack. (It is now not the zero-lift angle of attack.) Also, α now denotes
the deviation from this flight condition. We assume α0 + ip is small, so we can use the small angle
approximation. If we also non-dimensionalize the above relations, we find that
W
CX = − CD cos α + CL sin α + Tc0 = 1 2
sin γ0 , (1.3)
2 ρV S
W
CZ = − CL cos α − CD sin α − Tc0 (α0 + ip ) = − 1 2
cos γ0 , (1.4)
2 ρV S
W
CX0 = −CD + Tc0 = 0 and CZ0 = −CL − Tc0 (α0 + ip ) = 1 2
. (1.6)
2 ρV S
1
2 Velocity stability derivatives
2.1 The basic relations
Now let’s find the stability derivatives with respect to the velocity. They are CXu , CZu and Cmu . They
are very hard to determine experimentally. This is because wind tunnels and flying aircraft can’t change
their velocity in a very accurate way. Luckily, we can find expressions for them.
Let’s start to examine CXu . We can recall that
1 ∂X 1
CXu = 1 and X = CX ρV 2 S. (2.1)
2 ρV S ∂V 2
(We have used the fact that ∂V /∂u ≈ 1.) Taking the derivative of the second relation, with respect to
V , gives
∂X ∂CX 1 2
= CX ρV S + ρV S. (2.2)
∂V ∂V 2
Inserting this into the first relation will give
∂CX
CXu = 2CX + V. (2.3)
∂V
In a similar way, we can find the expressions for CZu and Cmu . They are
∂CZ ∂Cm
CZu = 2CZ + V and Cmu = 2Cm + V. (2.4)
∂V ∂V
2
If we use this, in combination with earlier equations, we will find that
∂CD dTc0
0 ∂CD
CXu = − 2CD + 2Tc + 1 − 0
V − M, (2.9)
∂Tc dV ∂M
∂CL dTc0
0 ∂CL
CZu = − 2CL − 2Tc (α0 + ip ) − (α0 + ip ) + 0
V − M, (2.10)
∂Tc dV ∂M
∂Cm dTc0 ∂Cm
Cmu = 0
V + M. (2.11)
∂Tc dV ∂M
3
3.2 Rewriting the relation for CXα
We can try to rewrite the relation for CXα . To do this, we examine CDα . Let’s assume that the aircraft
has a parabolic drag curve. This implies that
CL2 CLα
CD = CD0 + , which, in turn, implies that CDα = 2 CL . (3.5)
πAe πAe
If we combine this with the former expression for CXα , we wind up with
CL
CXα = CL 1 − 2 α . (3.6)
πAe
4
This change in angle of attack causes the normal force of the tailplane to change. In fact, it changes by
an amount 2 2
Vh Sh Vh Sh lh qc̄
∆CNh = CNhα ∆αh = CNhα . (4.5)
V S V Sc̄ V
Similarly, the change of the moment is given by
2 2
Vh Sh l h Vh Sh lh2 qc̄
∆Cm = −CNhα ∆αh = −CNhα . (4.6)
V Sc̄ V Sc̄2 V
5
The change in effective angle of attack is
dε lh α̇c̄
∆αh = . (5.5)
dα c̄ V
We now have enough data to find the coefficients CZα̇ and Cmα̇ . We know that
2 2
Vh Sh Vh Sh lh dε α̇c̄
∆CZ = −CNhα ∆αh = −CNhα , (5.6)
V S V Sc̄ dα V
2 2
Sh lh2 dε α̇c̄
Vh Sh l h Vh
∆Cm = −CNhα ∆αh = −CNhα . (5.7)
V Sc̄ V Sc̄2 dα V
The coefficients CZα̇ and Cmα̇ are now given by
2
1 ∂Z ∂CZ Vh Sh lh dε
CZα̇ = 1 = α̇c̄ = −CNhα , (5.8)
2 ρSc̄
∂ ẇ ∂V V Sc̄ dα
2
Sh lh2 dε
1 ∂M ∂Cm Vh
Cmα̇ = 1 = α̇c̄ = −CNhα . (5.9)
2 ρSc̄
2 ∂ ẇ ∂V V Sc̄2 dα
The coefficient CZδe usually isn’t very important. However, Cmδe is very important. This is because the
whole goal of an elevator is to apply a moment to the aircraft.