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At least 37 records · Page 2

Some Recent Studies in Structural Dynamics of Rotor Aircraft

This paper presents a summary of four recent studies relating to the structural-dynamics problems of rotor-powered aircraft. The first study concerns the measurement by means of dynamic models of the forces and moments at the hubs of various rotor configurations. The results of this study show that the periodic components of the forces and moments are highly dependent on both the rotor configuration and the flight condition. The second study treats the problem of resonance amplifications of rotor-blade stress and shows that by using multiple flapping hinges or flex-joints it is possible to control the natural frequencies of the rotor blade so that conditions of resonance between the frequencies of the aerodynamic input forces and the natural frequencies of the lower blade modes are avoided for all rotor speeds. Two studies of the stability of rotor aircraft axe also discussed. One of these involves the mechanical instability or ground resonance of rotorcraft wherein the rotor support in each of two mutually perpendicular directions in the rotor plane is represented as a multiple-degree-of-freedom system in contrast to the system having a "single" degree of freedom normally used in helicopter analysis. The consideration of the rotor support system as a two-degree-of-freedom system predicts additional unstable ranges of rotor speed not predicted by former analyses. The other instability treated is propeller whirl for which the significant motions are the pitching and yawing motions of the propeller disk which are coupled together by gyroscopic forces. The effect of the significant variables on the instability is presented and shows that the speed at which the instability occurs can be increased by increasing the relative stiffness of the propeller in the pitch and yaw directions or by increasing the effective structural damping of the nacelle.

George W Brooks↗

Wind-tunnel Measurement of Propeller Whirl-flutter Speeds and Static-stability Derivatives and Comparison with Theory

Results of an experimental investigation of propeller whirl flutter are presented for a model consisting of an isolated, rigid system of propeller and simulated power plant mounted with flexibility in pitch and yaw on a rigid sting. A range of propeller blade angles, restraint stiffnesses, and restraint damping coefficients was investigated for a system symmetrical i n pitch and yaw with a windmilling propeller. Measurements of the static-stability derivatives were also made by using a simple balance and were compared with two sets of theoretical derivatives. Whirl-flutter calculations were made with the theoretical and measured derivatives. Some limited results were obtained for the whirl flutter of the model mounted on a cantilever semispan wing. The measured whirl-flutter speeds and frequencies of the isolated model were in very good agreement with those predicted by calculations in which measured derivatives and viscous damping were used. This agreement was better than that obtained by using structural damping. Predicted whirl-flutter speeds for the isolated model were lower when theoretical stability derivatives were used than when measured derivatives were used. The theoretical and experimental static-stability derivatives exhibited the same trends, but in certain instances differed appreciably in magnitude. the measured whirl-flutter boundary for the one configuration considered.

PROPELLER↗

Wind-Tunnel Tests of the 1/9-Scale Model of the Curtiss XP-62 Airplane with Various Vertical Tail Arrangements

The effect of various vertical tail arrangements upon the stability and control characteristics of an XP-62 fighter model was investigated. Rudder-free yaw characteristics with take-off power and flaps deflected were satisfactory after dorsal fin modifications. Directional stability was obtained with all modified vertical tails. Satisfactory rudder effectiveness resulted partly because the dual-rotation propellers produced no asymmetric yawing moments. Pedal forces in sideslips were undesirably large but may be easily reduced.

Wallace, Arthur R.↗

Aircraft control system

A solar rechargeable, long-duration, span-loaded flying wing, having no fuselage or rudder. Having a two-hundred foot wingspan that mounts photovoltaic cells on most all of the wing's top surface, the aircraft uses only differential thrust of its eight propellers to turn, pitch and yaw. The wing is configured to deform under flight loads to position the propellers such that the control can be achieved. Each of five segments of the wing has one or more motors and photovoltaic arrays, and produces its own lift independent of the other segments, to avoid loading them. Five two-sided photovoltaic arrays, in all, are mounted on the wing, and receive photovoltaic energy both incident on top of the wing, and which is incident also from below, through a bottom, transparent surface.

Lisoski, Derek L.↗

Proportioning the airplane for lateral stability

Proportioning for lateral aircraft control included: (1) directional stability (slope of curve of yawing moment coefficient against sideslip), and (2) effective dihedral factor (slope of curve of rolling moment coefficient against sideslip). Basic forces influencing the directional stability of aircraft are indicated. Propeller side force, basic fuselage yaw, and vertical tail side force contributed to yaw moment about center of gravity.

Donlan, C. J.↗

Flight Tests of a Model of a High-wing Transport Vertical-take-off Airplane with Tilting Wing and Propellers and with Jet Controls at the Rear of the Fuselage for Pitch and Yaw Control

An investigation of the stability and control of a high-wing transport vertical-take-off airplane with four engines during constant-altitude transitions from hovering to normal forward flight was conducted with a remotely controlled free-flight model. The model had four propellers distributed along the wing with the thrust axes in the wing chord plane. The wing could be rotated to 90 degrees incidence so that the propeller thrust axes were vertical for hovering flight. An air jet at the rear of the fuselage provided pitch and yaw control for hovering and low-speed flight.

CONTROL, LONGITUDINAL↗

Investigation of the Loads on a Conventional Front and Rear Sliding Canopy

As one phase of a comprehensive canopy load investigation, conventional front and rear sliding canopies which are typified by installation on the SB2C-4E airplane, were tested in the Langley full-scale tunnel to determine the pressure distributions and the aerodynamic loads on the canopies. A preliminary analysis of the results of these tests is presented in this report. Plots are presented that show the distribution of pressure at four longitudinal stations through each canopy for a range of conditions selected to determine the effects of varying canopy position, yaw, lift coefficient, and power. The results indicate that the maximum loads, based on the external-internal pressure differential, for the front and rear canopies were obtained with the airplane simulating the high speed flight condition. The highest loading on the front canopy was in the exploding direction for the configuration with the front and rear canopies closed. The highest loads on the rear canopy were in the crushing direction with the front canopy open and the rear canopy closed. For most of the simulated flight conditions, the highest loads on the front canopy, per unit area, were over twice as great as the highest loads on the rear canopy when the comparison was made for the most critical canopy configuration in each case. The external pressure distribution over the front and rear canopies, which were fairly symmetrical to 0 degree angle of yaw, were greatly distorted at other yaw attitudes, particularly for the propeller operating conditions. These distorted pressure distributions resulted in local exploding and crushing loads on both canopies which were often considerably higher than the average canopy loads.

Dexter, Howard E.↗

An optimal Space Shuttle ascent trajectory for the first orbital flight test

An optimal solution of the ascent trajectory of the Space Shuttle for the first orbital flight test is presented; the optimization is a minimum propellant, four-control problem in yaw angle, roll angle, pitch angle and vacuum thrust of each Space Shuttle main engine. Piecewise linear segments with juncture points treated as parameters are employed to model the controls. Equations of motion for a three-dimensional flight with pitch plane moment balance about an oblate are integrated numerically with a fourth-order Runge-Kutta method; two- and one-dimensional cubic spline function curve fits of aerodynamic coefficients are used during the first and second stages, respectively. The constraint minimization problem is solved with the Davidon-Fletcher-Powell function method.

Johnson, I. L., Jr.↗

Thrust augmented spin recovery device

Yaw control surfaces were developed for a jet propelled aircraft. A thrust augmented rudder is disposed above the jet exhaust stream and a thrust rudder tab extends downward into the jet exhaust stream. These components are cooperatively deflected to generate yawing moments for directional control of the aircraft.

Berrier, B. L.↗

Aeroacoustic Measurements from the Aerodynamic and Acoustic Rotorprop Test (AART) in the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC) 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) designs typically have aerodynamic configurations that result in complex aerodynamic and acoustic conditions, such as wing and propeller interaction. In response, the Aerodynamic and Acoustic Rotorprop Test (AART) Program was implemented, a primary objective of which was to determine the aerodynamics and acoustics related to an auxiliary propulsor mounted behind an isolated wing in the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC) 40-by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel. Three configurations (no wing, half wing, and full wing) were tested, with conditions including variation of the propeller speed, wind tunnel Mach number, and Yaw. The acoustic set up, processing, and analysis are discussed along with the known issues for this complex data set. The interaction of upstream bodies and the resulting substantial increase in acoustic emissions are discussed in detail.

Propeller↗

Lateral stability and control tests of the XP-77 airplane in the NACA full-scale tunnel, 16 June 1944

Tests were made in the NACA full-scale tunnel to determine the lateral stability and control characteristics of the XP-77 airplane. Measurements were made of the forces and moments on the airplane at various angles of attack and angles of yaw. The measurements were made with the propeller removed and with the propeller installed and operating at various thrust coefficients, and with the landing flaps retracted and deflected. The effects of aileron, elevator, and rudder deflection on control surface effectiveness and hinge moments were determined. The tests were planned to obtain the data required to evaluate as completely as possible the Army Air Force requirements on lateral stability and control for pursuit-type airplanes.

Czarnecki, K. R.↗

An Analytical Treatment of Aircraft Propeller Precession Instability

An analytical investigation is made of a precession-type instability which can occur in a flexibly supported aircraft-engine-propeller combination. By means of an idealized mathematical model which is comprised of a rigid power-plant system flexibly mounted in pitch and yaw to a fixed backup structure, the conditions required for neutral stability are determined. The paper also examines the sensitivity of the stability boundaries to changes in such parameters as stiffness, damping, and asymmetries in the engine mount, propeller speed, airspeed, Mach number, propeller thrust, and location of pitch and yaw axes. Stability is found to depend strongly on the damping and stiffness in the system. With the use of nondimensional charts, theoretical stability boundaries are compared with experimental results obtained in wind-tunnel tests of an aeroelastic airplane model. In general, the theoretical results, which do not account for wing response, show the same trends as observed experimentally; however, for a given set of conditions calculated airspeeds for neutral stability are consistently lower than the measured values. Evidently, this result is due to the fact that wing response tends to add damping to the system.

Reed, Wilmer H., III↗

Measurement of the Static Stability and Control and the Damping Derivatives of a 0.13-Scale Model of the Convair XFY-1 Airplane, TED No. NACA DE 368

An investigation has been conducted to determine the static stability and control and damping in roll and yaw of a 0.13-scale model of the Convair XFY-1 airplane with propellers off from 0 deg to 90 deg angle of attack. The tests showed that a slightly unstable pitch-up tendency occurred simultaneously with a break in the normal-force curve in the angle-of-attack range from about 27 deg to 36 deg. The top vertical tail contributed positive values of static directional stability and effective dihedral up to an angle of attack of about 35 deg. The bottom tail contributed positive values of static directional stability but negative values of effective dihedral throughout the angle-of-attack range. Effectiveness of the control surfaces decreased to very low values at the high angles of attack, The model had positive damping in yaw and damping in roll about the body axes over the angle-of-attack range but the damping in yaw decreased to about zero at 90 deg angle of attack.

Johnson, Joseph L.↗

The effect of cowling shape on the stability characteristics of an airplane, September 1942

Three widely different nose shapes were tested on a fuselage alone and on a complete model in the NACA stability tunnel to investigate the effect of cowling shape on stability characteristics. The results are presented in the form of charts which show the variation in the aerodynamic characteristics with the three nose shapes for the propeller-removed condition over a wide range of angles of attack and yaw. The results indicated that large changes in the cowling shape produced relatively small changes in the aerodynamic characteristics. The effects may be appreciable, however, in the case of an airplane that has marginal stability.

Donlan, C. J.↗