AAE 354

Lesson 00-1

Flight Dynamics

Introduction
 Flight Dynamics

Applied engineering subject

Flight
Mechanics

Flight
Performance Aeroelasticity
Dynamics
 Flight Mechanics
• Performance
– Performance characteristics (range, endurance, rate of
climb, takeoff and landing distances, flight path
optimization)
• Flight Dynamics
– Motion of the aircraft due to disturbances
– Stability and Control
• Aeroelasticity
– Static and Dynamic Aeroelastic phenomena (control
reversal, wing divergence, flutter, aeroelastic
response)
 Flight Dynamics
• Definition: Flight dynamics is the science of
aircraft orientation and control in three
dimensions.
 Need
• Is the aircraft safe to fly?
• Is the pilot comfortable with it’s flying
characteristics?

Flying Handling Qualities

 Flight Dynamics
• The three critical flight dynamics parameters
are the angles of rotation in three dimensions
about the vehicle's center of mass, known as
pitch, roll and yaw.
Body Axis System
Y

Z
 Pitch Angle & Flight Path Angle
Pitch angle, 𝜃, positive nose up, is the angle between the reference line
and the horizontal. It is where the airplane is pointed.

𝜃 =𝛾+𝛼

Flight path angle, 𝛾, positive upward from the horizontal, the angle of
the path traced by the airplane center of gravity. It is where the
aircraft is going.
 Angle of Attack
Angle of Attack, 𝛼, positive nose up, is the angle between a
convenient body-fixed reference line and the tangent to the
flight path at the airplane center of gravity. It is the difference
between where the aircraft is pointed and where it is going.
 Change in Angle of Attack
• Due to Gust
– Upgust : Angle of attack increases
– Downgust: Angle of attack decreases
 Change in Angle of Attack
• Due to Wing Movement
– Wing goes down: Angle of attack increases
– Wing goes up: Angle of attack decreases
 Change in Angle of Attack
• Upgust/Down Wing Movement
𝑉
𝑤
∆𝛼 −

𝑤
∆𝛼 =
• Downgust/Up Wing Movement 𝑉

∆𝛼 +
𝑤
𝑉
 Bank Angle
Roll or Bank Angle, 𝜙, positive right wing down, is the angle
between y-axis and the horizontal.
 Yaw Angle
Yaw or Heading Angle, 𝛹, positive nose right, is the angle between
the aircraft’s centerline from the arbitrarily chosen instantaneous
zero azimuth.
 Sideslip Angle
Sideslip Angle, 𝛽, positive aircraft nose left of relative wind, is the
angle between the aircraft’s centerline and the flight path tangent.
Important Aerodynamic Parameters

• Angle of Attack
• Sideslip Angle
• Airspeed
• Mach Number
• Density of Air
Body Axis System
Relationship to Earth Axis System
 Nomenclature & Symbols
• 𝛼 : angle of attack (AOA)
• 𝛿𝑎 : aileron deflection
• 𝛿𝑒 : elevator deflection
• 𝛿𝑟 : rudder deflection
• 𝜌 : air density
• 𝜙, 𝜃, 𝛹 : roll, pitch and yaw angles
• 𝑝, 𝑞, 𝑟 : roll, pitch and yaw angular rates
• 𝐿, 𝑀, 𝑁 : roll, pitch & yaw moments
• 𝑢, 𝑣, 𝑤 : velocity X,Y & Z components
 Nomenclature & Symbols
• 𝛼 : angle of attack (AOA)
• 𝛿𝑎 : aileron deflection
• 𝛿𝑒 : elevator deflection
• 𝛿𝑟 : rudder deflection
• 𝜌 : air density
• 𝜙, 𝜃, 𝛹 : roll, pitch and yaw angles
• 𝑝, 𝑞, 𝑟 : roll, pitch and yaw angular rates
• 𝐿, 𝑀, 𝑁 : roll, pitch & yaw moments
• 𝑢, 𝑣, 𝑤 : velocity X,Y & Z components
 Aspects of Stability
• Stability—The inherent quality of an airplane to correct for conditions
that may disturb its equilibrium, and to return or to continue on the
original flightpath. It is primarily an airplane design characteristic.

• Controllability—The capability of an airplane to respond to the pilot’s

control, especially with regard to flightpath and attitude. It is the quality
of the airplane’s response to the pilot’s control application when
maneuvering the airplane, regardless of its stability characteristics.

• Maneuverability—The quality of an airplane that permits it to be

maneuvered easily and to withstand the stresses imposed by
maneuvers. It is governed by the airplane’s weight, inertia, size and
location of flight controls, structural strength, and powerplant. It too is
an airplane design characteristic.
 Inherent Stability and the Early
Machines
• Pioneer airplane and glider builders who came before the Wright
brothers recognized the importance of airplane stability.
• They had discovered that some degree of inherent stability in flight
could be obtained with an appropriate combination of:
– Center of gravity location (Lilienthal)
– Wing dihedral angle or lateral area distribution (Langley and
Lanchester)
– Aft mounted tail surfaces (Cayley and Pénaud)
• Very little thought had been given to the problem of control except
for the provision of horizontal and vertical rudders (Langley)
Dihedral Angle- Boeing 777
 FAR Part 23
• “...the airplane must be safely controllable and
and maneuverable during – (1) take off; (2)
climb; (3) level flight; (4) dive; and (5) landing
(power on and off) (with the wing flaps
extended and retracted).”
• “The airplane must be longitudinally,
directionally, and laterally stable.”
 Types of Stability

• Static Stability: Initial response to a disturbance

• Dynamic Stability: Ability to damp out oscillations
Static Stability
 Static Pitch Stability of Aircraft

The tendency of an aircraft to return to its

original flight attitude after being disturbed in
pitch by an external force
Spring-Mass System
 Aircraft Static Stability
• Static Stability—The initial tendency that the airplane
displays after its equilibrium is disturbed
 Positive Static Stability—The initial tendency of the
airplane to return to the original state of
equilibrium after being disturbed
 Negative Static Stability—The initial tendency of
the airplane to continue away from the original
state of equilibrium after being disturbed
 Neutral Static Stability—The initial tendency of the
airplane to remain in a new condition after its
equilibrium has been disturbed
 Static Stability of Aircraft
• Most aircraft (apart from high performance
fighters) are statically stable
• Static stability implies:-
– All the forces and moments around the aircraft’s cg at
a fixed flight condition and attitude are balanced
– After any small perturbation in flight attitude the
aircraft returns to its equilibrium position
• The equilibrium position is usually called the trim
position
 Dynamic Stability

• The characteristics of an aircraft that,

when disturbed from an original state of
steady flight or motion, allow it to damp
the oscillations using its inherent restoring
moments and gradually return to its
original state

• Deals with time history of the motion

Dynamic Stability
Dynamic Stability
 Approach

Static Stability
Sign
Stability Derivative

Dynamic Equations
Solution
Stability of Motion
 References
• Robert C. Nelson, “Flight Stability and
Automatic Control”, McGraw Hill, 2nd ed,
1998.
• Etkin, B.: Dynamics of Atmospheric Flight,
Dover, New York, 2005
• Bandu N. Pamadi, “Performance, Stability,
Dynamics and Control of Airplanes”, AIAA,
1998
 Industrial Standards
• FAR Part 23: Airworthiness standards: Normal, utility,
acrobatic, and commuter category.
• FAR Part 25: Airworthiness standards: Transport category
airplanes
• MIL-F-8785C: Flying qualities of piloted airplanes. (pre-
1996)
• MIL-STD-1797A (now MIL-HDBK-1797): Flying qualities of
piloted airplanes (post-1996)
• USAF Stability and Control Datcom
• MIL-DTL-9490E: Flight control systems, design, installation
and test of piloted aircraft, General specification for
(Superseded by SAE94900)
 Web Resources
• www.aerostudents.com
• www.freevideolectures.com
• www.princeton.edu/~stengel/MAE331Lecture
s.html‎
• http://nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/101106043/
 Course Information

• Instructor: Dr. Jamshed Riaz

• Phone: 0321-8545029
• E-mail: jamshed.riaz@ist.edu.pk
• Consultation: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
 Learning Objectives
• Introduce students to the fundamental
concepts of atmospheric flight dynamics
• Enable students to analytically estimate static
and dynamic stability derivatives
• Enable students to study the stability of
longitudinal and lateral motions using the
linearized equations
 Course Goals
• Overview principles of flight and the
classical/modern theory of stability and
control
• Present notation for flight mechanics
variables, forces, and moments
• Derive classical, uncoupled rigid body
equations of motion used for Stability &
Control analysis of aircraft
 Course Goals (Cont’d)
• Define and explain the static and dynamic
stability and control derivatives
• Understand the concepts of equilibrium,
neutral point, trim, etc.
• Introduce transfer function representation,
dynamic stability, and modes of motion
• Understand flying handling qualities
 Grades
• All tests will be closed book and closed notes.
• [1] Quizzes & Assignments 15%
• [2] OHT-1 20%
• [3] OHT-2 20%
• [5] Finals 45%
Welcome to Flight Dynamics