Dynamic Stability and Control Characteristics of a Delta-wing Vertically Rising Airplane Model in Take-offs, Landings and Hovering Flight
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Lovell, Powell M↗
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Dynamic directional stability derivatives for a 45 degree swept-wing-vertical-tail airplane model at transonic speeds and angles of attack, with a description of the mechanism and instrumentation employed
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Albert L. Braslow↗
Low-speed wind-tunnel investigation of the effect of strakes and nose machines on lateral-directional stability of a fighter configuration
A series of low-speed static wind-tunnel force tests were conducted on a 0.15-scale model of a modern high-performance fighter aircraft. The tests identified the use of nose chines to enhance stability at high angles of attack. Results of this investigation showed that the strake was the major contributor to directional instability. The destabilizing forces were created by two mechanisms: (1) adverse flow in the region of the vertical tail, and (2) forces generated on the fuselage ahead of the center of gravity. Properly designed nose chines effectively negated the adverse flow near the vertical tail and created stabilizing forces on the forebody in the range of the stall angle of attack.
Brandon, J. M.↗
Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Vertical-tail Size and Length and of Fuselage Shape and Length on the Static Lateral Stability Characteristics of a Model with 45 Degree Sweptback Wing and Tail Surfaces
An investigation was made to determine the effects of vertical-tail size and length and of fuselage shape and length on the static lateral stability characteristics of a model with wing and vertical tails having the quarter-chord lines swept back 45 degrees. The results indicate that the directional instability of the various isolated fuselages was about two-thirds as large as that predicted by classical theory.
Queijo, M J↗
Lateral Stability Characteristics of a 1/8.33-Scale Powered Model of the Republic XF-12 Airplane
The XF-12 airplane is a high-performance photo-reconnaissance aircraft designed for the Army Air Forces by the Republic Aviation Corporation. An investigation of a 1/8.33 - scale powered model was made in the Langley l9-foot pressure tunnel to obtain information relative to the aerodynamic design of the airplane. The model was tested with and without the original vertical tail. and with two revised tails. For the revised tail no. 1, the span of the original vertical .tail was increased about 15 percent and the portion of the vertical tail between the stabilizer and fuselage behind the rudder hinge line was allowed to deflect simultaneously with the main rudder. Revision no. 2 incorporated the increased span, but the lower rudder was locked in the neutral position. For all the tail arrangements investigated it was indicated that the airplane will possess positive effective dihedral and will be directionally stable regardless of flap or power condition. The rudder effectiveness is greater for the revised tails than for the original tail, but this is offset by the increase in directional stability caused by the revised tail. All the rudder arrangements appear inadequate in trimming out the resultant yawing moments at zero yaw in a take - off condition with the left-hand outboard propeller windmilling and the remaining engines developing take-off power.
Pepper, Edward↗
Effects of vertical fins near the nose of the fuselage on the directional and damping-in-yaw stability derivatives of an airplane model under steady-state and oscillatory conditions
A wind-tunnel investigation has been made at low speed to determine the effects of vertical fins placed ahead of the vertical tail on the directional stability and damping-in-yaw characteristics of a swept-wing model under steady-state oscillatory conditions. Various sizes of fins were used above and below the fuselage center line. The vertical-tail size also was varied.
STABILITY, DIRECTIONAL - STATIC↗
A comparison of adiabatic and diabatic forcing in an intense extratropical cyclone system
The roles of adiabatic and diabatic forcings in the development of a cyclone are examined. The two types of height tendency equations (classical quasi-geostrophic and extended forms) employed to solve for height tendency are described. The extended equation, in which geostrophic wind is replaced with observed wind, the effects of diabatic heating are added, and three-dimensional varying static stability is permitted, is utilized to analyze the evolution of the January 9-11, 1975 cyclone event. The analysis reveals that vorticity advection has a primary effect on the movement and propagation of the wave system; the differential thermal advection has a secondary, but significant role in wave development; latent heating effects are minimal; and the vertical advection of static stability slows the propagation and development of the wave.
Tsou, Chih-Hua↗
Performance, Stability, and Control Investigation at Mach Numbers from 0.60 to 1.05 of a Model of the "Swallow" with Outer Wing Panels Swept 75 degree with and without Power Simulations
An investigation of the performance, stability, and control characteristics of a variable-sweep arrow-wing model with the outer wing panels swept 75 deg. has been conducted in the Langley 16-foot transonic tunnel. Four outboard engines located above and below the wing provided propulsive thrust, and, by deflecting in the pitch direction and rotating in the lateral plane, also produced control forces. The engine nacelles incorporated swept lateral and vertical fins for aerodynamic stability and control. Jet-off data were obtained with flow-through nacelles, simulating inlet flow; jet thrust and hot-jet interference effects were obtained with faired-nose nacelles housing hydrogen peroxide gas generators. Six-component force and moment data were obtained at Mach numbers from 0.60 to 1.05 through a range of angles of attack and angles of side-slip. Control characteristics were obtained by deflecting the nacelle-fin combinations as elevators, rudders, and ailerons at several fixed angles for each control. The results indicate that the basic wing-body configuration becomes neutrally stable or unstable at a lift coefficient of 0.15; addition of nacelles with fins delayed instability to a lift coefficient of 0.30. Addition of nacelles to the wing-body configuration increased minimum drag from 0.0058 to 0.0100 at a Mach number of 0.60 and from 0.0080 to 0.0190 at a Mach number of 1.05 with corresponding reductions in maximum lift-drag ratio of 12 percent and 33 percent, respectively. The nacelle-fin combinations were ineffective as longitudinal controls but were adequate as directional and lateral controls. The model with nacelles and fins was directionally and laterally stable; the stability generally increased with increasing lift. Jet interference effects on stability and control characteristics were small but the adverse effects on drag were greater than would be expected for isolated nacelles.
Schmeer, James W.↗
Investigation of Effect of Sideslip on Lateral Stability Characteristics II : Rectangular Midwing on Circular Fuselage with Variations in Vertical-tail Area and Fuselage Length with and Without Horizontal Tail Surface
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TAIL SURFACES, HORIZONTAL↗
Stability characteristics of a conical aerospace plane concept
Data on stability characteristics of a conical aerospace plane concept were collected for a number of model geometry variations and test conditions, using several NASA-Langley wind tunnels spanning Mach range 0.1-6. The baseline configuration of this plane concept incorporated a 5-deg cone forebody, a 75.96-deg delta wing, a 16-deg leading-edge sweep deployable canard, and a centerline vertical tail. The key results pertinent to stability considerations about all three axes of the model are presented together with data on the effect of the canard on pitch stability, the effect of vertical tail on lateral-directional stability, and the effect of forebody geometry on yaw asymmetries. The experimental stability data are compared with the results from an engineering predictive code.
Hahne, David E.↗
Numerical solution of the vertical structure equation in the normal mode method
In the present model of multilayered stability stratification, aimed at obtaining the analytic eigensolutions of the vertical structure equation, each layer is characterized by its own static stability value. By requiring continuity of pressure and vertical velocity across each interface level, and by imposing suitable upper and lower boundary conditions, matching eigensolutions are obtained in terms of the Bessel functions. Attention is given to an explicit example of a double-layered stratified atmosphere which demonstrates the mathematical manipulations involved; the resultant vertical structure functions are used to check the accuracy of the numerical solutions by the finite difference and finite element methods.
Sasaki, Y. K.↗
Improving Low‐Cloud Fraction Prediction Through Machine Learning
Abstract In this study, we evaluated the performance of machine learning (ML) models (XGBoost) in predicting low‐cloud fraction (LCF), compared to two generations of the community atmospheric model (CAM5 and CAM6) and ERA5 reanalysis data, each having a different cloud scheme. ML models show a substantial enhancement in predicting LCF regarding root mean squared errors and correlation coefficients. The good performance is consistent across the full spectrums of atmospheric stability and large‐scale vertical velocity. Employing an explainable ML approach, we revealed the importance of including the amount of available moisture in ML models for representing spatiotemporal variations in LCF in the midlatitudes. Also, ML models demonstrated marked improvement in capturing the LCF variations during the stratocumulus‐to‐cumulus transition (SCT). This study suggests ML models' great potential to address the longstanding issues of “too few” low clouds and “too rapid” SCT in global climate models.
Geology↗
Venus Orbital Imaging Radar mission analysis
Mission objectives for the Venus Orbital Imaging Radar (VOIR) project are outlined with attention to its scientific instrumentation. Design parameters of the SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) are described, including a high resolution capability of 200 m from a circular orbit of 375 km, which will be able to map the entire surface of the planet. Nineteen atmospheric experiments are foreseen, among them: CO2 stability assays, measurements of vertical mass transfer rates, observations of cloud circulation and composition, and an evaluation of solar wind effects on atmospheric dynamics. Navigation and orbital injection plans are reviewed, noting that the 1983 launch window (using STS) is optimum.
Nock, K. T.↗
Bifurcation and stability of low-order steady flows in horizontally and vertically forced convection
A nonlinear spectral model of two-dimensional, shallow Boussinesq convection which responds to heating in both the horizontal and vertical directions is examined. The governing partial differential system is converted to an infinite set of ordinary differential equations and truncated to a small set to permit detailed study of the number and types of transitions from one flow configuration to another. The Hadley number and the Rayleigh number are defined as the horizontal and vertical thermal forcing mechanisms, respectively, for inclusion in the nonlinear spectral model, which is composed of three equations. The model is then used to describe steady states, linearly stable solutions, and balancing factors in unstable stratification. The number and the distribution of the steady states are found to be qualitatively independent of the aspect ratio and the Prandtl number.
Yost, D. A.↗
Flight evaluation of Loran-C for general aviation area navigation
This paper reports on a flight evaluation of Loran-C which was part of a long range study of area navigation systems for general aviation. Tests involved two different Loran-C receivers, 6 different aircraft, and a variety of antennas. Uncorrected position fixes were typically accurate to one quarter mile. With measured corrections, repeatability was good to within 200 ft. Signal reliability was 99.7%. The receiver was not sensitive to atmospheric noise. The time difference grid demonstrated a long term stability of 0.3 microsecond. Vertical whip and ADF E-field antennas were found suitable for airborne use. Loran-C was found satisfactory for instrument approaches to runways at general aviation airports where published latitude-longitude coordinates were available. Accuracy was further improved by using locally measured Loran-C time difference coordinates.
Hollister, W. M.↗
Durability of commercial aircraft and helicopter composite structures
The development of advanced composite technology during the past decade is discussed. Both secondary and primary components fabricated with boron, graphite, and Kevlar composites are evaluated. Included are spoilers, rudders, and fairings on commercial transports, boron/epoxy reinforced wing structure on C-130 military transports, and doors, fairings, tail rotors, vertical fins, and horizontal stabilizers on commercial helicopters. The development of composite structures resulted in advances in design and manufacturing technology for secondary and primary composite structures for commercial transports. Design concepts and inspection and maintenance results for the components in service are reported. The flight, outdoor ground, and controlled laboratory environmental effects on composites were also determined. Effects of moisture absorption, ultraviolet radiation, aircraft fuels and fluids, and sustained tensile stress are included. Critical parameters affecting the long term durability of composite materials are identified.
Dexter, H. B.↗
Durability of aircraft composite materials
Confidence in the long term durability of advanced composites is developed through a series of flight service programs. Service experience is obtained by installing secondary and primary composite components on commercial and military transport aircraft and helicopters. Included are spoilers, rudders, elevators, ailerons, fairings and wing boxes on transport aircraft and doors, fairings, tail rotors, vertical fins, and horizontal stabilizers on helicopters. Materials included in the evaluation are boron/epoxy, Kevlar/epoxy, graphite/epoxy and boron/aluminum. Inspection, maintenance, and repair results for the components in service are reported. The effects of long term exposure to laboratory, flight, and outdoor environmental conditions are reported for various composite materials. Included are effects of moisture absorption, ultraviolet radiation, and aircraft fuels and fluids.
H. Benson Dextern↗
Convective instability in superposed fluid and anisotropic porous layers
The onset of thermal convection due to heating from below in a system consisting of a fluid layer overlying a porous layer with anisotropic permeability and thermal diffusivity is studied. The linear perturbation equations are solved numerically. It is found that the effects of anisotropy on the onset of thermal convection are most profound for small values of the depth ratio xi (ratio of fluid layer thickness to porous layer thickness), since in that case, the onset of convection corresponds to significant motion in both layers. For fixed vlues of the vertical permeability in the porous medium, decreasing the value of zeta (ratio of horizontal to vertical permeability) leads to stabilization of the superposed layer configuration because of increased resistance to motion in the porous medium. For larger values of xi, the onset of motion is increasingly confined to the fluid layer, with the transport of heat through the porous layer occurring primarily by conduction. Accordingly, the influence of zeta on the stability characteristics for larger xi is less significant than the effects of an anisotropic thermal conductivity.
Chen, Falin↗