Determination of critical nondimensional parameters in aircraft dynamic response to random input
The critical parameters of subsonic jet aircraft response in a random atmospheric environment are determined. Equations of motion are presented for semirigid aircraft with a flexible primary airfoil. However, the analysis is easily extendable to include additional appendage flexibility. The analysis establishes the mechanical admittance values for pitching, plunging, and the first mode effects from wing elastic bending and torsion. Nondimensional parameters are established which allow the representation of all subsonic jet transport aircraft with one nondimensional model. The critical parameters for random forcing are found to be aircraft relative mass, reduced natural and forcing frequencies, and Mach number. Turbulence scale lengths are found to be directly related to the critical values of reduced forcing frequency. Results are given for subsonic craft traveling at constant altitude. Specific values of admittance functions are tabulated at Mach numbers of 0.2, 0.5, and 0.7. The relative mass range covers all aircraft currently in operation.