Appendix 1: AeroTrim: A Symmetric

Trim Calculator for Subsonic

Flight Conditions
A Mathcad Program Written by M. V. Cook, Version Date 1 September 2012
Given the operating condition and some basic geometric and aerodynamic data for a conventional
aircraft, this programme calculates an estimate of the symmetric trim state of the aircraft for a
chosen airspeed range. The programme is limited to subsonic flight in the troposphere; however,
it may be developed easily for application to a wider range of operating conditions and aircraft
configurations. Data given are best estimates for the Cranfield Jetstream laboratory aircraft.

1. Aircraft Flight Condition

(Insert values to define aircraft operating condition)
Altitude (ft) ht :5 6562 Convert to m ht :5 0.3048
ht
Aircraft mass (kg) m :5 6300
cg position (%c) h :5 0.29
γe
Flight path angle (deg) γe :5 0 Convert to rad γe :5
57:3
Gravity constant (m/s2) g :5 9.81

2. Air Density Calculation

Valid for troposphere only—up to 36,000 ft
Gas constant (Nm/kgK) R :5 287.05
Lapse rate (K/m) lr :5 20.0065
Temperature (K) Temp :5 288.16 1 lr
ht


Temp 2 ½ðlrURÞ11
g
Check results
3
Air density (kg/m ) ρ :5 1:225
Temp 5 275.15
288:16
ρ ρ 5 1.006
Density ratio σ :5
1:225 σ 5 0.822

3. Set up Velocity Range for Computations

Note that true airspeed is assumed unless otherwise stated
Counter i :5 0..10
(set counter to number of velocity test points required)
True airspeed range (knots) Vknotsi :5 100 1 15Ui
(set initial velocity and velocity increment as required)
True airspeed (m/s) Vi :5 Vknotsi U0:515
pffiffiffi
Equivalent airspeed (knots) Veasi :5 Vknotsi U σ

507
508 Appendix 1

4. Aircraft Geometry—Constant
(Insert values defined by aircraft geometry)
Wing Geometry
Wing area (m2) S :5 25.08
Wing span (m) b :5 15.85
Wing mean chord (m) cw :5 1.716
Sweep 1/4cw (deg) Λ :5 0
z coordinate of 1/4cw point above (2ve) zw :5 0.45
or below (1ve) ox body axis (m)
Wing rigging angle (deg) αwr :5 1.0 αwr
Convert to rad αwr :5
57:3
Tailplane Geometry
Tailplane area (m2) ST :5 7.79
Tailplane span (m) bT :5 6.6
Tail arm, 1/4cw to 1/4ct (m) lt :5 6.184
z coordinate of 1/4cw point above (2ve) zT :5 21.435
or below (1ve) ox body axis (m)
ηT
Tail setting angle (deg) ηT :5 1.5 Convert to rad ηT :5
57:3
Fuselage diameter or width (m) Fd :5 1.981
Engine Installation
Thrust line z coordinate above (2ve) zτ :5 0.312
or below (1ve) ox body axis (m)
Engine thrust line angle (deg) κ :5 0 κ
Convert to rad κ :5
relative to ox body axis (1nose up) 57:3

5. Wing-Body Aerodynamics
(Insert values defined by the installed wing aerodynamic design)
Wing-body CL-α (per rad) a :5 5.19
Maximum lift coefficient CLmax :5 1.37
Zero lift pitching moment Cm0 :5 20.0711
Zero lift drag coefficient CD0 :5 0.03
Zero lift angle of attack (deg) αw0 :5 22 αw0
Convert to rad αw0 :5
57:3
Wing-body aero centre h0 :5 20.08
 Appendix 1 509

6. Tailplane Aerodynamics
(Insert values defined by the tailplane aerodynamic design)
Tail plane CL-α (per rad) a1 :5 3.2
Elevator CL-η (per rad) a2 :5 2.414
ε0
Zero lift downwash angle (deg) ε0 :5 2.0 Convert to rad ε0 :5
57:3

7. Wing and Tailplane Calculations

Aspect ratio b2
Ar :5
S
b Check results
Wing semi-span (m) s :5
2 Ar 5 10.017
s 5 7.925
Tail arm, cg to 1/4ct (m) lT :5 lt 2 cw
(h 2 0.25)
lT 5 6.115
ST U1T VT 5 1.107
Tail volume VT :5
S
cw

8. Downwash at Tail
Ref:-Stribling, C.B. “Basic Aerodynamics”, Butterworth Ltd., 1984.
x :5
lt zw 2 zT
Tail position relative to wing (% of span) z :5
b b
2" sffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi


2 # 3

2 fi
π
fi
π 6 x1 x2 1 0:5
cos 1z2 7
a X
0:5
cos 6 180 x 7 7 π
85
180 6
dεα :5 2
sffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi


2 U6

2 1 2 2 7

π UAr fi55 6 fi
π ðx 1z Þ7 180
fi
π 4 0:5
cos 1z2 5
x2 1 0:5
cos 1z2 180
180

Check result dεα 5 0.279

9. Induced Drag Factor

Ref:- Shevell, R.S. “Fundamentals of Flight”, 2nd edition, Prentice Hall Inc., 1983.
Drag polar is defined, CD 5 CD0 1 KCL2, where K is the induced drag factor.


2
3
F F F
Fuselage drag Sd :5 0:9998 1 0:0421U d 2 2:6286U d 1 2:000U d
b b b
factor
Empirical kD :5 2 3:333U1024 UΛ2 1 6:667U1025 UΛ 1 0:38
constant
510 Appendix 1

1 Check result
Oswald efficiency e :5
factor 1 sd 5 0.968
πUArUkD UCD0 1
ð0:99Usd Þ kD 5 0.38
1 e 5 0.713
Induced drag K :5
πUArUe K 5 0.045
factor

10. Basic Performance Parameters

"
rffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
 #
2UmUg K 0:25 1
Minimum drag speed (knots) Vmd :5
U
ρUS CD0 0:515
pffiffiffi
Equivalent minimum drag speed (knots) Vmdeas :5 Vmd U σ
rffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
2UmUg 1
Stall speed (knots) Vstall :5

ρUSUCLmax 0:515
pffiffiffi
Equivalent stall speed (knots) Vstalleas :5 Vstall U σ
a
Neutral point—controls fixed hn :5 h0 1 VT U 1 Uð1 2 dεα Þ
a
Static margin—controls fixed Kn :5 hn 2 h

11. Trim Calculation

The trim computation finds the trim condition for each speed defined in the speed range
table and for the flight condition defined in Section 1.
Initial seed values for solve block
CL :5 0.7 CLW :5 0.5 CD :5 0.02 Cτ :5 0.4 αe :5 0.1 CLT :5 0.1
Trim solve block
Given
Total normal force mUg
2
Ucosðαe 1 γe Þ 5 CL Ucosðαe Þ 1 CD Usinðαe Þ 1 Cτ UsinðκÞ
(oz body axis) ρUðVÞ2 US

Total axial force mUg

2
Usinðαe 1 γe Þ 5 Cτ UcosðκÞ 2 CD Ucosðαe Þ 1 CL Usinðαe Þ
(ox body axis) ρUðVÞ2 US
Total drag coefficient CD 5 CD0 1 KUCL2

Wing-body lift coefficient CLW 5 a
(αe 1 αwr 2 αw0)

 Appendix 1 511

Pitching moment zτ
0 5 ½Cm0 1ðh 2 h0 ÞUCLw  2 VT UCLT 1 Cτ U
(about cg) cw
Tail lift coefficient S
CLT 5 ðCL 1 CLW ÞU
ST
Trim(V) :5 Find(αe, Cτ, CD, CLT, CLW, CL)
End of trim solve block

12. Trim Variables Calculation

αei :5 TrimðVi Þ0 Cτi :5 TrimðVi Þ1 CDi :5 TrimðVi Þ2
CLTi :5 TrimðVi Þ3 CLwi :5 TrimðVi Þ4 CLi :5 TrimðVi Þ5

Wing incidence αwi :5 αei 1 αwr

CLTi a1  
Trim elevator angle ηei :5 2 U αwi Uð1 2 dεα Þ 1 ηT 2 αwr 2 ε0
a2 a2
Pitch attitude θei :5 γe 1 αwi 2 αwr
Tail angle of attack αTi :5 αwi
ð1 2 dεα Þ 1 ηT 2 ε0 2 αwr
Lift to drag ratio CLwi
LDi :5
CDi

13. Conversions of Angles to Degrees

αwi :5 αwi U57:3 αei :5 αei U57:3 θei :5 θei U57:3
αTi :5 αTi U57:3 ηei :5 ηei U57:3 γe :5 γe U57:3

14. Total Trim Forces Acting on Aircraft

Total lift force (N) Li :5 0:5UρUðVi Þ2 USUCLi
Total drag force(N) Di :5 0:5UρUðVi Þ2 USUCDi
Total thrust (N) Ti :5 0:5UρUðVi Þ2 USUCτi
512 Appendix 1

SUMMARY RESULTS OF TRIM CALCULATION

15. Definition of Flight Condition
Aircraft weight (N) m
g 5 6.18
104 Minimum drag speed Vmd 5 155.307
(knots)
Altitude (ft) ht
3.281 5 6.562
103 Equivalent minimum Vmdeas 5 140.769
drag speed (knots)
Flight path angle γe 5 0 Stall speed (knots) Vstall 5 116.092
(deg)
cg position (%cw) h 5 0.29 Equivalent stall speed Vstalleas 5 105.225
(knots)
Neutral point hn 5 0.412 Static margin-controls Kn 5 0.122
—controls fixed fixed

16. Trim Conditions as a Function of Aircraft Velocity

Angles in degrees, velocity in m/s, forces in N unless indicated otherwise.
 Appendix 1 513

17. Some Useful Trim Plots

15
Lift to drag ratio with true airspeed.

10

LDi

0
100 130 160 190 220 250
Vknotsi

4
Elevator angle (deg) to trim with true airspeed.

ηei 0

–2

–4
100 130 160 190 220 250
Vknotsi

6000
Total drag (N) variation with true airspeed.

5000

Di

4000

3000
100 130 160 190 220 250
Vknotsi
514 Appendix 1

2
Drag polar.
1.6

1.2
CLi
0.8

0.4

0
0 0.04 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.2
CDi

- End of program -