1

Introduction

The aircraft chosen, named Phoenix Jet, is a long range intercontinental

business jet. The Phoenix Jet's primary design characteristics are as follows,
Range (R)= 12,000 km.
Cruise Mach number= 0.87
Number of passengers= 9
Number of crew members= 3
Cruise Altitude= 12,200 m (40,000 ft)
In the previous report, the weights and the center of gravity of dierent
aircraft components of Phoenix Jet were evaluated and tabulated. The center of gravity locations of Phoenix Jet were determined at dierent stages of
mission prole. The X-center of gravity lies in the range 14.923 m - 15.34 m
from the nose of Phoenix Jet. The Y-center of gravity lies in the range 0.904
m - 1.446 m from the bottom of the fuselage. The CG envelope of Phoenix
Jet was plotted.
In the current report, the neutral point and the static margin of Phoenix
Jet are estimated and the location of components of the aircraft are modied
if the aircraft is found to be unstable. The trim analysis of Phoenix Jet is
also performed to estimate the stability characteristics of the aircraft. Finally,
modied three view layout of Phoenix Jet is created using the data obtained
in the previous and current report.

Neutral Point and Static Margin

The magnitude of the pitching moment derivative changes with the center of
gravity location. For any aircraft there is a center of gravity location about
which there is no change in the pitching moment as the angle of attack is
varied. This point is the neutral point and is the most aft center of gravity
location of the aircraft beyond which the aircraft becomes unstable.

The

neutral point can be interpreted as the aircraft's aerodynamic center.

Static Margin is the distance, in percentage of the mean aerodynamic
chord of the wing, from the neutral point to the center of gravity.

Figure 2.1: Illustration of forces and moments acting on Phoenix Jet.

[2]

2.1 Fuselage Moment Coecient Slope

Figure 2.2: Plot of Kf vs J

[2]

J is the quarter chord position of the wing's root chord in terms of % fuselage length from
the nose. J=42.59% for Phoenix Jet
The variation of the pitching moment coecient of the fuselage with angle

[2]

of attack is given by the following expression

CM(f us) =

Kf Wf2 Lf
cSw

(2.1)

where Wf is the maximum fuselage width, Lf is the length of the fuselage

and Kf is the empirical pitching moment factor.
Wf =2.4 m
Lf =28 m and Kf =0.02 (obtained from Figure 2.2)

CM(f us) =0.3358

per radian

2.2 Horizontal Tail Lift Coecient Slope

The slope of the lift coecient curve of the horizontal tail is given by the
following expressions

[2]

CL(ht) =

2AR(ht)
q
2+ 4+

AR2 2
(1
2

tan2 max(t)
)
2

Sexposed
Sref

(2.2)

2 = 1 M 2
where

max(t)

(2.3)

represents the sweep angle of the horizontal tail at the maxi-

mum thickness position of the airfoil.

M=0.87 (Cruise Mach Number )
2 =0.2431

=0.95

(Airfoil Eciency)

The airfoil for horizontal tail was chosen to be NASA/Langley LS(1)-0013.

The maximum thickness is found to occur at 40 % of chord

max(t) =33.99

[3]

AR(ht)=5
Sexposed /Sref =1 for horizontal tail used in Phoenix Jet.
Therefore,

CL(ht) =4.5992

per radian.

2.3 Variation of Tail angle of attack

The horizontal tail of Phoenix Jet is present behind the wing. The formulas
used for the calculation of

h /

[2][1]

are given below


h
=1

=

2CL
AR

(2.4)

(2.5)

d
2CL
=
d
AR
h is the eective angle of
 is the downwash angle.

(2.6)

attack of the horizontal tail.

AR=7.5 (Aspect Ratio of the wing)

CL =6.4644 per radian (Slope of the lift coecient curve of Phoenix Jet)
The value of h /=0.45128

2.4 Neutral Point

The formula for estimating the neutral point location in the power o con-

[2]

dition is given by

hnp =

ht
CL(ht)
h
CL hacw CM(F us) + h SSht
acht
w
ht
CL(ht)
CL + h SSht

(2.7)

where h represents X/c where X is the location from the nose and c is the
mean aerodynamic chord length and

represents the ratio of dynamic pres-

sure at the tail to the freestream dynamic pressure

h =0.9

[2]

From the previous report, the following values were obtained.

c=4.59 m (mean aerodynamic chord length)
hacw =Xacw /c

Sht = 36.13 m

Sw = 119.88 m
hacht =Xacht /c

Xacw =15.195 m

hacw = 3.31

(Horizontal tail planform area)

(Wing planform area)
Xacht =30.01 m

hacht =6.5381

Using the above values, the neutral point of the Phoenix Jet is found to be
located at a distance of XNP =16.16 m (hNP =3.52)from the nose of Phoenix
Jet.

2.5 Static Margin

The following expression gives the static margin of the aircraft,

SM = hN P hCG

(2.8)

The most aft position of the center of gravity location of Phoenix Jet calculated in the previous report is found to occur at a distance of 15.34 m from

the nose. Therefore, the least value of the static margin of Phoenix Jet is
found to be 0.1788.
In the power on condition, the static margin is reduced by 3% for jet
aircraft

[2]

. The least static margin value becomes 0.1734.

A positive static margin implies that the aircraft is stable. Since the least
value of the static margin is positive, it is deduced that Phoenix Jet is stable
both in the static and cruise phase of the mission prole.

Trim Analysis

Trim condition refers to the state of the aircraft at which the net forces
and the moments about the center of gravity equals zero. Hence,the moment
coecient of the aircraft about the center of gravity (CMcg ) should be zero for
the aircraft at the trim condition.The expression for the moment coecient
of the aircraft about the center of gravity (CMcg ) is given by

CMCG = CLw (hcg hacw )+CMw +CMf us h

T
Fp
Sht
CLht (hacht hcg )
Zt +
(hcg hp )
Sw
qSw
qSw
(3.1)

The various terms in the above expression are determined in the following
sections.

3.1 Wing Lift Coecient(CLw )

The expression for the wing lift coecient is as follows,

CLw = CL + CL0

(3.2)

CL0 =0.2507
CL =0.112 per degree.
Hence CLw =0.112+0.2507.

3.2 Wing Pitching Moment(CMV )

The moment acting on the wing about its mean aerodynamic center is dened
as wing pitching moment. The wing pitching moment (CMw ) for a swept back
wing is given by the following formula

[2]

CMw
where

=27.370

AR cos2
= CM0(airf oil) (
)
AR + 2 cos

(3.3)

(sweep angle at the mean aerodynamic chord) for Phoenix

Jet.
CM0(airfoil) =-0.14.

[3]

Therefore the value of wing pitching moment is -0.0931

3.3 Fuselage Pitching Moment (CMfus )

The fuselage pitching moment is given by the following formula

[2]

CMf us = CM(f us)

(3.4)

CM(f us) is calculated to be 0.00586/deg in the earlier section. Therefore the

fuselage pitching moment is given by 0.00586 at any given angle of attack
()where

is expressed in degrees.

3.4 Tail Lift coecient (CLht )

[2]

The expression for the lift coecient of the horizontal tail is given by

CLht = CL(ht) [( + iw )(1

where

CL(ht) =4.5992


) + (ih iw ) OLh ]

(3.5)

per radian

/=0.54872
iw =ih =0 (for Phoenix Jet)

OLh

is given by the following expressions

OL = (OLh 0) =
where

1 CL
e
CL e

Cl Sf lapped
CL
= 0.9Kf
cos H.L.
e
e Sref
Kf is the empirical correction term for lift incregraph for (cf /c)=0.3, where cf is the elevator length

In the above expression,

ment determined from

and c is the horizontal tail chord and maximum elevator deection angle equal
Cl
to 30 degrees and
is determined from graph for cf /c=0.3 and t/c=0.129
e
(NACA 0013 airfoil).

[2]

Figure 3.1: Variation of Kf with ap deection.

Figure 3.2: Variation of

Cl /e

with cf /c.

[2]

Kf

=0.62
Cl
=4.6/rad=0.0802/deg
e
H.L. (elevator hinge line sweep angle)=24.6deg
CL
Hence,
is 0.0116/deg and OL is 0.147e where e is the elevator dee
ection angle. Therefore,CLht is determined to be CLht =0.036+0.0188e .

3.5 Thrust Eects

The thrust has two main contributions to CMCG , namely the inlet normal
force due to the turning of the air and the direct moment of the thrust. The
Fp (normal force due to turning of air at inlet front face of the engine) is given
by the following expressions obtained by momentum conservation

Fp =
where

p ,

[2]

dm
V p
dt

V=258 m/s and dm/dt=110.612 kg/s.

Therefore

Fp

is

determined to be (28537.89)newton
The direct contribution of the engine thrust to the moment coecient is

[2]

given by the following formula

CMengine =

T
Zt
qSw

(3.6)

T= 26.256 kN (Thrust required at cruise)

Zt =zt /c =0.362 (Height of the engine axis from the center of gravity)
Hence the CMengine value was calculated to be 0.03637

3.6 Trim
The other parameters required to completely dene the CMcg are given below,

h =0.9

[2]

(ratio of dynamic pressure at the tail to the free-stream dynamic

pressure)

hcg =3.254
q=10057.82 N/m
hacw =Xacw /c

Sht = 36.13 m

Sw = 119.88 m
hacht =Xacht /c

2
Xacw =15.195 m

hacw = 3.31

(Horizontal tail planform area)

(Wing planform area)
Xacht =30.01 m

hp =5.403

hacht =6.5381

The trim analysis of Phoenix Jet is performed for the cruise phase of the
mission prole.
The nal simplied expression for CMcg for a Phoenix Jet is given by,

CMCG = 0.13461 0.0167e 0.101

At trim condition CMcg =0. For a given value of
achieved for specic value of
aircraft also changes.

As

and

e ,

(3.7)

the trim condition is

changes the total lift on the

However, since the total lift has to be equal to the

weight of the aircraft at trim, there are specic trim conditions(e(trim) and

trim )

for the aircraft. To determine the trim conditions, CMcg is determined

for arbitrarily assumed values of

and

For the same values of

and

the total lift coecient ( CLtotal ) is estimated using the expression given

below

[2]

CLtotal = CLw + CLht h

Sht
Sw

(3.8)

The expression for CLtotal for Phoenix Jet is shown below,

CLtotal = 0.119776 + 0.0051e + 0.2507

(3.9)

The total pitching moment coecient is plotted against total lift coecient for various elevator deection angles and plot is shown in gure (3.3).
Additionally the plot of CLtotal vs

and CMcg vs for dierent values of e

are

plotted.
The values used for plotting the graphs are listed in table (3.1) and (3.2)
Table 3.1 : CMcg values as a function of

and

Alpha()

CMcg (e =-10 )

CMcg (e =0 )

CMcg (e =10 )

-15

2.08515

1.91815

1.75115

-10

1.4121

1.2451

1.0781

-5

0.73905

0.57205

0.40505

0.066

-0.101

-0.268

-0.60705

-0.77405

-0.94105

10

-1.2801

-1.4471

-1.6141

15

-1.95315

-2.12015

-2.28715

Table 3.2: CLtotal values as a function of

and

Alpha()

CLt (e =-10 )

CLt (e =0 )

CLt (e =10 )

-15

-1.59694

-1.54594

-1.49494

-10

-0.99806

-0.94706

-0.89606

-5

-0.39918

-0.34818

-0.29718

0.1997

0.2507

0.3017

0.79858

0.84958

0.90058

10

1.39746

1.44846

1.49946

15

1.99634

2.04734

2.09834

Figure 3.3: CLtotal vs alpha

Table 3.3: Trim conditions of Phoenix Jet

Alpha()
e CMcg
CLt
CDitrim
0.49

-0.75
-1.99

0
0

-10
0

10

0.2583

0.000869

0.1608

0.000555

0.0633

0.004092

The elevator deection at trim is determined from the graph in gure

(3.3) by interpolating for zero pitching moment at the required total lift
coecient. The trim condition parameters are listed in table (3.3)
The total induced drag (CDitrim ) including trim drag eects is determined

10

Figure 3.4: CMcg vs alpha

Figure 3.5: CMcg vs CLtotal

at trim angle of attack (trim ) and elevator deection angle (e(trim) ) is given

[2]

by the following expression

CDitrim = K[CL ()]2 + h

11

Sh
Kh [CLht ]2
Sw

(3.10)

where K=1/eAR and Kh =1/e(AR)ht

The expression for CDitrim obtained for Phoenix Jet is given by,

CDtrim = 0.0009582 + 0.022(0.036 + 0.0188e )2

(3.11)

Three View Layout

The three view diagrams of Phoenix Jet after stability considerations are
shown below.

The three view diagram of the Phoenix Jet includes the

ailerons, rudders, aps, elevators and the landing gear of the airplane. The
sizing and position of these components was performed in the previous reports.

There is no change in the relative positions of the components of

Phoenix Jet after the stability analysis and static margin values were obtained to be positive. The newly added component to the three view layout
are the aps.

12

Figure 4.1: Top View of Phoenix Jet

13

Figure 4.2: Side View OF Phoenix Jet

14

Figure 4.3: Front View of Phoenix Jet

15

Figure 4.4: Three View Layout of Phoenix Jet

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Conclusion

The neutral point and the static margin of Phoenix Jet were estimated.
The neutral point of Phoenix is found to be at a location of 16.16 m from
the nose of the aircraft.

The least static margin value (at the most aft

center of gravity) of Phoenix Jet is 0.1788 at power o condition and 0.1734

at power on condition.

The positive value of static margin implies that

Phoenix Jet is stable in ight.

The trim analysis of Phoenix Jet was also

performed to estimate the stability characteristics of the aircraft and graphs

between CLtotal vs

, CMcg vs and CLtotal vs CMcg for dierent values of elevator

deection are plotted. Finally, modied three view layout of Phoenix Jet is
created using the data obtained in the previous and current report.

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References
[1] Perkins and Hage(1967),Airplane Performance, Stability and Control,
Wiley and Sons
[2] D.P Raymer(1995),Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach, AIAA Education Series.
[3] www.airfoiltools.com

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