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At least 37 records · Page 2

Lateral-directional stability and control characteristics of the Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft (QSRA)

The results are presented of flight experiments to determine the lateral-directional stability and control characteristics of the Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft (QSRA), an experimental aircraft designed to furnish information on various aerodynamic characteristics of a transport type of airplane that makes use of the upper-surface blown (USB) flap technology to achieve short takeoff and landing (STOL) performance. The flight program designed to acquire the data consisted of maneuvers produced by rudder and control-wheel inputs with the airplane in several configurations that had been proposed for landing approach and takeoff operation. The normal stability augmentation system was not engaged during these maneuvers. Time-history records from the maneuvers were analyzed with a parameter estimation procedure to extract lateral-directional stability and control derivatives. For one aircraft configuration in which the USB flaps were deflected 50 deg, several maneuvers were performed to determine the effects of varying the average angle of attack, varying the thrust coefficient, and setting the airplane's upper surface spoilers at a 13 deg symmetrical bias angle . The effects on the lateral characteristics of deflecting the spoilers were rather small and generally favorable. The data indicate that for one test, conducted at low thrust (a thrust coefficient of 0.38), compared with results from tests at thrust coefficients of 0.77 and larger, there was a significant decrease in the lateral control effectiveness, in the yaw damping and in the directional derivative. The directional derivative was also decreased (by about 30 percent) when the average angle of attack of the test was increased from 3 to 16 deg.

Stephenson, Jack D.↗

A computer program for calculating symmetrical aerodynamic characteristics and lateral-directional stability derivatives of wing-body combinations with blowing jets

The necessary information for using a computer program to calculate the aerodynamic characteristics under symmetrical flight conditions and the lateral-directional stability derivatives of wing-body combinations with upper-surface-blowing (USB) or over-wing-blowing (OWB) jets are described. The following new features were added to the program: (1) a fuselage of arbitrary body of revolution has been included. The effect of wing-body interference can now be investigated, and (2) all nine lateral-directional stability derivatives can be calculated. The program is written in FORTRAN language and runs on CDC Cyber 175 and Honeywell 66/60 computers.

Lan, C. E.↗

Application of Forebody Strakes for Directional Stability and Control of Transport Aircraft

A brief overview of a cooperative NASA/Boeing research effort, Strake Technology Research Application to Transport Aircraft (STRATA), intended to explore the potential of applying forebody strake technology to transport aircraft configurations for directional stability and control at low angles of attack, is presented. As an initial step in the STRATA program, an exploratory wind-tunnel investigation of the effect of fixed forebody strakes on the directional stability and control characteristics of a generic transport configuration was conducted in the NASA Langley 12-Foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel. Results of parametric variations in strake chord and span, as well as the effect of strake incidence, are presented. The use of strakes for yaw control is also discussed. Results emphasize the importance of forebody/fuselage crossflow in influencing strake effectiveness. Strake effectiveness is also seen to be directly related to its span, but less sensitive to chord; a very short-chord strake with sufficient span can have a significant effect.

Shah, Gautam H.↗

X-29A Lateral-Directional Stability and Control Derivatives Extracted From High-Angle-of-Attack Flight Data

The lateral-directional stability and control derivatives of the X-29A number 2 are extracted from flight data over an angle-of-attack range of 4 degrees to 53 degrees using a parameter identification algorithm. The algorithm uses the linearized aircraft equations of motion and a maximum likelihood estimator in the presence of state and measurement noise. State noise is used to model the uncommanded forcing function caused by unsteady aerodynamics over the aircraft at angles of attack above 15 degrees. The results supported the flight-envelope-expansion phase of the X-29A number 2 by helping to update the aerodynamic mathematical model, to improve the real-time simulator, and to revise flight control system laws. Effects of the aircraft high gain flight control system on maneuver quality and the estimated derivatives are also discussed. The derivatives are plotted as functions of angle of attack and compared with the predicted aerodynamic database. Agreement between predicted and flight values is quite good for some derivatives such as the lateral force due to sideslip, the lateral force due to rudder deflection, and the rolling moment due to roll rate. The results also show significant differences in several important derivatives such as the rolling moment due to sideslip, the yawing moment due to sideslip, the yawing moment due to aileron deflection, and the yawing moment due to rudder deflection.

Iliff, Kenneth W.↗

Flight Measurements of the Flying Qualities of a Lockheed P-80A Airplane (Army No. 44-85099): Lateral- and Directional-Stability and Control Characteristics

This report contains the flight-test results of the lateral and directional-stability and control phase (including tests with wing-tip tanks) of a general flying-qualities investigation of the Lockheed P-80A airplane (Army No. 44-85099). These tests were conducted at indicated airspeeds up to 494 miles per hour (0.691 Mach number) at low altitude and up to 378 miles per hour (0.816 Mach number) at high altitude. These tests showed that the flying qualities of the airplane were for the most part in accordance with the requirements of the Army Air Forces Stability and Control Specifications. The only major deficiency noted was the negative lateral stability with the wing-tip tanks installed.

Anderson, Seth B.↗

Theoretical and experimental supersonic lateral-directional stability characteristics

A program has been initiated at NASA Langley Research Center to assess several methods for estimation of lateral-directional stability. As a basis for comparison, experimental data are presented for a simple wing-body vertical tail configuration. The methods for estimating the characteristics include a second-order shock expansion and panel method (MISLIFT), a slender body and 'first-order' panel method (APAS), and a 'higher-order' panel method for linearized supersonic flow (PAN AIR). The results show that PAN AIR provides accurate estimates of these characteristics at moderate angles of attack for complete configurations with either single or twin vertical tails. APAS provides estimates for complete configurations at zero angle of attack. However, MISLIFT only provides estimates for the simplest body-vertical tail configurations at zero angle of attack.

Lamb, M.↗

Calculation of lateral-directional stability derivatives for wing-body combinations with and without jet-interaction effects

A theoretical method is presented for predicting the lateral-directional stability derivatives of wing-body combinations with or without the blowing jet effect. The fuselage effect is accounted for by the axial distribution of vortex multiplets. Comparison of the predicted results with experiments and other theoretical methods show good agreement for configurations without the blowing jet. More applicable experimental data with blowing jets are needed to establish the accuracy of the theory.

Lan, C. E.↗

The application of parameter estimation to flight measurements to obtain lateral-directional stability derivatives of an augmented jet-flap STOL airplane

Flight experiments with an augmented jet flap STOL aircraft provided data from which the lateral directional stability and control derivatives were calculated by applying a linear regression parameter estimation procedure. The tests, which were conducted with the jet flaps set at a 65 deg deflection, covered a large range of angles of attack and engine power settings. The effect of changing the angle of the jet thrust vector was also investigated. Test results are compared with stability derivatives that had been predicted. The roll damping derived from the tests was significantly larger than had been predicted, whereas the other derivatives were generally in agreement with the predictions. Results obtained using a maximum likelihood estimation procedure are compared with those from the linear regression solutions.

Stephenson, J. D.↗

Lateral and Directional Stability and Control Characteristics of a C-54D Airplane

Data are presented showing compliance of C-54D with Army and Navy lateral and directional stability and control specifications. The airplane met requirements except for the rolling effectiveness pb/2V, the aileron forces in rolling, and the rudder forces in the asymmetric power conditions which were marginal. Also, the results of special tests concerning asymmetric power, asymmetric loading, and pitch due to yaw requested by the Airplane Handling Qualities Subcommittee of the Air Transport Association are presented.

AIRPLANES - SPECIFIC TYPES↗

Extraction of Lateral-Directional Stability and Control Derivatives for the Basic F-18 Aircraft at High Angles of Attack

The results of parameter identification to determine the lateral-directional stability and control derivatives of an F-18 research aircraft in its basic hardware and software configuration are presented. The derivatives are estimated from dynamic flight data using a specialized identification program developed at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. The formulation uses the linearized aircraft equations of motions in their continuous/discrete form and a maximum likelihood estimator that accounts for both state and measurement noise. State noise is used to model the uncommanded forcing function caused by unsteady aerodynamics, such as separated and vortical flows, over the aircraft. The derivatives are plotted as functions of angle of attack between 3 deg and 47 deg and compared with wind-tunnel predictions. The quality of the derivative estimates obtained by parameter identification is somewhat degraded because the maneuvers were flown with the aircraft's control augmentation system engaged, which introduced relatively high correlations between the control variables and response variables as a result of control motions from the feedback control system.

Iliff, Kenneth W.↗

Calculation of lateral-directional stability derivatives of wings by a nonplanar quasi-vortex-lattice method

The nonplanar quasi-vortex-lattice method is applied to the calculation of lateral-directional stability derivatives of wings with and without vortex-lift effect. Results for conventional configurations and those with winglets, V-tail, etc. are compared with available data. All rolling moment derivatives are found to be accurately predicted. The prediction of side force and yawing moment derivatives for some configurations is not as accurate. Causes of the discrepancy are discussed. A user's manual for the program and the program listing are also included.

Lan, C. E.↗

Experimental and theoretical supersonic lateral-directional stability characteristics of a simplified wing-body configuration with a series of vertical-tail arrangements

An experimental investigation was conducted to provide a systematic set of lateral-directional stability data for a simplified wing-body model with a series of vertical-tail arrangements. The study was made at Mach numbers from 1.60 to 2.86 at nominal angles of attack from -8 to 12 deg and Reynolds number of 8.2 million per meter. Comparisons at zero angle of attack were made with three existing theoretical methods (MISLIFT - a second-order shock expansion and panel method; APAS - a slender body and first order panel method; and PAN AIR - a higher order panel method) and comparisons at angle of attack were made with PAN AIR. The results show that PAN AIR generally provides accurate estimates of these characteristics at moderate angles of attack for complete configurations with either single or twin vertical tails. APAS provides estimates for complete configurations at zero angle of attack. However, MISLIFT only provides estimates for the simplest body-vertical-tail configurations at zero angle of attack.

Lamb, M.↗