Accession Number:

AD0641371

Title:

IMPORTANT VSTOL AIRCRAFT STABILITY DERIVATIVES IN HOVER AND TRANSITION

Descriptive Note:

Final rept.

Corporate Author:

AIR FORCE FLIGHT TEST CENTER EDWARDS AFB CA

Personal Author(s):

• Rampy, J. M.

Report Date:

1966-10-01

Pagination or Media Count:

29.0

Abstract:

To design better ground test facilities and to specify handling qualities criteria, the aerodynamic parameters involved must be identified. The purpose of the study was to identify these parameters for the critical flight regime of hover through transition. Both analog and digital computers were used. The purpose of the analog simulation was to qualitatively analyze the behavior of VSTOL aircraft to control inputs and identify the most important derivatives. Two typical VSTOL aircraft were investigated. The method used to determine the important derivatives was that of varying the stability derivatives about some basic value. The amount of simulator response identified the most important derivatives. Next, the digital computer was used to affix a magnitude to the relative importance of each derivative. To establish the relative importance, a sensitivity factor was derived. The information necessary to calculate this factor was obtained from a mathematical analysis of the equations of motion. The important derivatives were identified for both longitudinal and lateral-directional motion.

Descriptors:

• *AERODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS
• *VERTICAL TAKEOFF AIRCRAFT
• SIMULATORS
• STABILITY
• MOTION
• HOVERING
• TEST FACILITIES
• FLIGHT
• MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS

Subject Categories:

• Aerodynamics
• VSTOL

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE