Dynamic Stability

Degree of dynamic stability:

time it takes the motion to
damp to half or to double the
amplitude of its initial
Amplitude “Handling
quality of an airplane”

Oscillations
growing
exponentially

Airplane Modes of Motion

Longitudinal (symmetric)

– Long period (phugoid)

• Exchange of KE and PE
• Easily controlled by pilot (usually)
• Lightly damped

– Short period
• Usually heavily damped
• Higher frequency than phugoid

Lateral-directional (asymmetric)

– Spiral mode (aperiodic bank angle divergence)

– Roll mode (aperiodic roll rate convergence)

– Dutch roll mode

• Moderately damped
• Moderate frequency
Rigid body

A rigid body is a system of particles in which the distances between the particles do not
vary. To describe the motion of a rigid body we use two systems of coordinates, a space-
fixed system xe, ye, ze, and a moving system xb, yb, zb, which is rigidly fixed in the body and
participates in its motion.

Rigid body equation of motion are obtained from Newton’s second law

Velocity and acceleration of differential

mass respect to inertial reference system

a,v referred to an absolute reference

system (inertial)

Relative velocity of δm respect to CM

Fixed frame
CM Center of mass of the airplane “inertial axis”
ω Angular velocity

ω = pi + qj+ rk
Newton’s second law

Summation of all external forces acting on a body is equal to the time rate of change of the
momentum of the body

Summation of all external moments acting on a body is equal to the time rate of change
of the moment of the momentum (angular momentum)

The time rate of change of linear and angular momentum are referred to an absolute
or inertial reference frame

F,M Forces and Moments due to Aerodynamic, Propulsive and Gravitational forces

Force Equation

Resulting force acting on an element of mass (second Newton’s law)

Total external force acting on the airplane

Assuming constant mass:

r measured from the center of mass

Force equation:
Moment Equation

Resulting moment acting on an element of mass

Total angular momentum acting on the airplane

vc constant with respect to the summation

r measured from the center of mass

Angular velocity Position vector

Vector equation for the angular momentum

Mass moments and
products of inertia

The larger moment of inertia, the greater will be the resistance to rotation.

Scalar equations for the angular momentum

NOTE: If the reference frame is not rotating, then as the airplane rotates the moments and
the products of inertia will vary with the time To simplify the problem we will fix the axis
system to the aircraft (body axis system)

Relationship inertia frame and rotating body frame

Scalar equations of motion for reference axis fixed to the airplane

H = H xi + H y j + H z k
Force equations Moment equations

xz plane of symmetry
Dynamic Equations

m(u& + qw − rv) = X
m(v& + ru − pw) = Y
m( w& + pv − qu ) = Z
I x p& − I xz r& + qr ( I z − I y ) − I xz pq = L
I y q& + pr ( I x − I z ) − I xz ( p 2 − r 2 ) = M
I z r& − I xz p& + pq( I y − I x ) + I xz qr = N

Gravitational Forces: along the body axes

 Moment due to propulsion system:

Trust forces

 X (v, w, u )   − sin θ 
Dynamic Equations    
mv& + ω × mv =  Y (v, w, u )  + mg  cos θ sin φ 
 Z (v, w, u )   cos θ cos φ 
   
 L(v, w, u ) 
 
Iω& + ω × Iω =  M (v, w, u ) 
 N (v, w, u ) 
 

m(u& + qw − rv) = X + Wx WX = −mgSinθ

m(v& + ru − pw) = Y + W y WY = mgCosθSinφ

m( w& + pv − qu ) = Z + Wz WZ = mgCosθCosφ

I x p& − I xz r& + qr ( I z − I y ) − I xz pq = L
I y q& + pr ( I x − I z ) − I xz ( p 2 − r 2 ) = M
I z r& − I xz p& + pq( I y − I x ) + I xz qr = N
Orientation and position of the airplane (respect to a fixed frame)

Euler angles:
Eksen çizgileri Yaw

Pitch

Roll

Orientation of airplane described by three consecutive angular rotation (Euler Angles)

– rotation about z (through the yaw angle ψ)
– rotation about y (through the pitch angle θ)
– rotation about x (through the roll (bank) angle φ)

Fixed Reference Frame:

Airplane's direction cosine matrix constructed from the Euler angles

Absolute velocity components

along the fixed frame
Velocity components along the body axes

Relationship between body angular velocities (in the body frame) and the Euler rates