2AEPC302 - Aircraft Stability and Control

Airplane axis system, forces and moments about longitudinal, lateral and vertical axes, equilibrium of forces developed on wing and horizontal tail, center of gravity, its importance in stability and control. Control surfaces elevators ailerons and rudder. 

Tutorial 1: Classroom Quiz on Airplane Axis System

Introduction to static and dynamic stability, Trim equilibrium, The pitching moment equation, Longitudinal Static Stability, Lateral Static Stability, Directional Static Stability,  Factors affecting static stability, and Contribution of aircraft components (Wing, Tail, Fuselage and Power Plant).

Tutorial 3: Pitching Moment & Longitudinal Static Stability 

The equations of motion of a rigid symmetric aircraft, the linearised equations of motion, the decoupled equations of motion, alternative forms of equations of motion, Methods of solutions, Cramer’s rule, Aircraft response transfer functions, response to controls, Acceleration response transfer function, The state space method. 

Tutorial 5: Derivation of Equations of Motion

Response to control, The dynamic stability modes, Reduced order models, Frequency response, Flying and Handling qualities, Mode excitation 

Tutorial 7: Dynamics of a Spring-Mass-Damper System

The characteristic equation, Routh-Hurwitz stability criterion, Graphical interpretation of stability, Augmentation system design, Closed loop system analysis, root locus plot, Longitudinal stability augmentation, and Lateral-directional stability augmentation. 

Tutorial 9: Graphical Interpretation of Stability

Introduction to aerodynamic modeling, quasi-static derivatives, derivative estimation, the effects of compressibility, limitations of aerodynamic modeling, longitudinal aerodynamic stability derivatives, lateral-directional aerodynamic stability derivatives, aerodynamic control derivatives.