AE3002 - FLIGHT MECHANICS

[Lectures: 39 hrs; Academic Unit: 3]

1. REVIEW OF FLIGHT ENVIRONMENT AND FLIGHT FORCES 2 hrs

The atmosphere as flight environment. The International Standard Atmosphere Model. The Force and Moment
Systems of an Aircraft. Preliminary basic aerodynamic and propulsion properties.

2. STEADY FLIGHT PERFORMANCE 6 hrs

Straight and level flight: thrust and power required/available, differences of propeller-driven and jet-powered
airplanes, maximum speed, effects of altitude. Climb and Descent Flight: rate of climb or descent, hodograph, excess
power, absolute and service ceilings, gliding performance. Range and endurance: specific fuel consunmption,
Breguet formulas, operating environment effects.

3. AIRCRAFT MANOEUVRE PERFORMANCE 5 hrs

Takeoff and landing performance: distance, balanced field length, wind effects. Manoevrability measures: stall
speed, coordinated turn, pull-up manoevre, unsteady turn. Energy approach.

4. AIRCRAFT STATIC STABILITY AND CONTROL 5 hrs

Notions of Static and Dynamic Stability of Flight. Lift and Pitching moment. Longitudinal Static stability. The
Stick-fixed neutral point. Static Longitudinal control. Stick forces. Elevator angle to Trim. Elevator hinge
moment. Directional Stability and Control. Roll Stability and Control.

5. LINEARISATION OF THE AIRCRAFT EQUATIONS OF MOTION 3 hrs

Equations of motion of an aircraft. The small-disturbance theory. The non-dimensional system. Models for the
study of flight dynamics. A glimpse into State-space modeling approaches. State variable representation of the
equations of motion. Aircraft Stability Derivatives.

6. AIRCRAFT DYNAMIC STABILITY 5 hrs

Pure Pitching motion. Controls fixed longitudinal stability. Criteria for longitudinal stability. Phugoids and Short
Period modes. Influence of Stability derivatives on Longitudinal modes. Controls fixed lateral motion. Pure
Rolling motion. Pure Yawing motion. Lateral-Directional modes. Spiral, Roll and Dutch Roll modes.
Longitudinal and Lateral Stability.
TEXTS

1. John D Anderson, Aircraft Performance and Design, McGraw Hill ISE, 1999.

2. Robert C Nelson, Flight Stability and Automatic Control, McGraw-Hill ISE, 1998.

REFERENCES

1. Bernard Etkin & Lloyd Duff Reid, Dynamics of Flight; Stabiility and Control, John Wiley &
Sons, Inc., 1996.

2. Warren F. Phillips, Mechanics of Flight, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2004.

3. Robert F. Stengel, Flight Dynamics, Princeton University Press, 2004.