Summary and analysis of horizontal-tail contribution to longitudinal stability of swept-wing airplanes at low speeds
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
SEARCH · Engineering Papers
Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Air-flow characteristics behind wings and wing-body combinations are described and are related to the downwash at specific tall locations for unseparated and separated flow conditions. The effects of various parameters and control devices on the air-flow characteristics and tail contribution are analyzed and demonstrated. An attempt has been made to summarize certain data by empirical correlation or theoretical means in a form useful for design. The experimental data herein were obtained mostly at Reynolds numbers greater than 4 x 10(exp 6) and at Mach numbers less than 0.25.
Force tests of the static and dynamic lateral stability characteristics of a VTOL airplane having a triangular wing mounted high on the fuselage with a triangular vertical tail on top of the wing and no horizontal tail have been made in the Langley free-flight tunnel. The static lateral stability parameters and the rolling, yawing, and sideslipping dynamic stability derivatives are presented without analysis.
Stability and control characteristics of STOL AIRCRAFT in low speed landing approach portion of flight regime
A series of low speed wind tunnel tests on a generic fighter model with a cylindrical fuselage were made to investigate the effects of forebody shape on static and dynamic lateral/directional stability. Five forebodies, including a chine nose of unconventional cross-sectional shape, were tested. Conventional force tests were conducted to determine static stability characteristics and single degree-of-freedom free-to-roll tests were used to study the wing rock susceptibility of the model with the various forebodies. Flow visualization data were obtained to aid in analysis of the complex flow phenomena involved. The results show that forebody cross-sectional shape can strongly effect both static and dynamic (roll) stability at high angles of attack. Large variations in stability were obtained for the various forebody geometries. These characteristics result from the impact of cross-sectional shape on forebody vortex development, the behavior of the vortices at sideslip conditions, and their interaction with the wing and empennage flow fields.
Stability and control characteristics of STOL AIRCRAFT in low speed landing approach portion of flight regime
An investigation of the low-speed, power-off stability and control characteristics of a 1/20-scale model of the Consolidated Vultee XB-53 airplane has been conducted in the Langley free-flight tunnel. In the investigation it was found that with flaps neutral satisfactory flight behavior at low speeds was obtainable with an increase in height of the vertical tail and with the inboard slats opened. In the flap-down slat-open condition the longitudinal stability was satisfactory, but it was impossible to obtain satisfactory lateral-flight characteristics even with the increase in height of the vertical tail because of the negative effective dihedral, low directional stability, and large-adverse yawing moments of the ailerons.
Variable-stability helicopter flight tests under instrument flight rules to determine effects of gross changes in longitudinal static stability for V/STOL handling qualities
A low scale wind tunnel investigation was conducted in rolling flow to determine the effects of aspect ratio and sweep (when varied independently) on the rolling stability derivatives for a series of untapered wings. Test results indicate that when the aspect ratio was held constant, an increase in the sweepback angle caused a significant reduction in the damping in roll at low lift coefficients for only the higher aspect ratios that were tested. This result was in agreement with available swept wing theory which indicated no effect of sweep for aspect ratios near zero. The result of the linear theory that the damping in roll is independent of lift coefficient and that the yawing moment and lateral force due to rolling are directly proportional to the lift coefficient was found to be valid for only a very limited lift coefficient range when the wings were highly swept. For such wings, the damping was found to increase in magnitude and the yawing moment due to rolling, to change from negative to positive at moderate lift coefficients. The effect of wing tip suction, not acounted for by present theory, was found to be very important with regard to the yawing moment due to rolling, particularly for low aspect ratio swept wings. An empirical means of correcting present theory for the effect of tip suction is suggested.
A low-scale wind-tunnel investigation was conducted in rolling flow to determine the effects of aspect ratio and sweep (when varied independently) on the rolling stability derivatives for a series of untapered wings. The rolling-flow equipment of the Langley stability tunnel was used for the tests. The data of the investigation have been used to develop a method of accounting for the effects of the drag on the yawing moment due to rolling throughout the lift range.
Low speed wind tunnel tests of stability and control characteristics of space shuttle booster at subsonic speeds
An experimental investigation of the low-speed longitudinal, lateral, and directional stability characteristics of a lifting-body hypersonic research airplane concept was conducted in a low-speed tunnel with a 12-foot (3.66-meter) octagonal test section at the Langley Research Center. The model was tested with two sets of horizontal and vertical tip controls having different planform areas, a center vertical tail and two sets of canard controls having trapezoidal and delta planforms, and retracted and deployed engine modules and canopy. This investigation was conducted at a dynamic pressure of 239.4 Pa (5 psf) (Mach number of 0.06) and a Reynolds number of 2 million based on the fuselage length. The tests were conducted through an angle-of-attack range of 0 deg to 30 deg and through horizontal-tail deflections of 10 deg to minus 30 deg. The complete configuration exhibited excessive positive static longitudinal stability about the design center-of-gravity location. However, the configuration was unstable laterally at low angles of attack and unstable directionally throughout the angle-of-attack range. Longitudinal control was insufficient to trim at usable angles of attack. Experiments showed that a rearward shift of the center of gravity and the use of a center-located vertical tail would result in a stable and controllable vehicle.
Low speed wind tunnel tests of straight wing and delta wing configuration space shuttle booster models
The longitudinal stability characteristics of a complete model equipped with a variable sweep wings at angles of sweepback of 45 deg, 30 deg, 15 deg, and 0 deg investigated. Various wing modifications and an extern 1 flap arrangement designed to minimize the shift in neutral point accompanying the change in sweep angle were studied. The results indicate that stability at the stall was obtained at a sweep angle of 15 deg without recourse to stall control devices. The basic neutral point movement accompanying the change in sweep angle from 45 deg to 15 deg amounted to 56 percent of the mean aerodynamic chord (at zero sweep angle) and the most effective modification investigated only reduced this change to 47 percent of the chord. It appears, therefore, that for designs in which the fuselage is the major load carrying element some relative movement between the wing and center of gravity will be required to assure satisfactory stability at all sweep angles.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.