CHP14 FORCES IN FLIGHT

DESIRED LEARNING OBJECTIVES

THE FOUR FORCES

LIFT
!pward reaction obtained from streamline bod" b" changing the direction of a moving stream of air# $t acts at right angle to airflow

DRAG
%esistance to the forward motion of aircraft and acts opposite to the direction of thrust

THRUST
&orce pushing the aircraft forward b" the engine

WEIGHT
$t is the force of gravit" of the earth acting through centre of gravit"

COUPLE
Two e'ual and opposite forces acting parallel to each other but separated b" a distance form couple#

PITCHING MOMENTS
(#P location varies due to change in A)A (#* location varies because of fuel consumption during flight and droppage of ammunition or drop tan+s %esulting in (ouple formation (ouple cause either pitch up or pitch down moment

,ame considerations appl" for thrust and drag

Pitch !p Motion when (#P is ahead of (#*

CG C.P

Pitch Down Motion when (#P is ahead of (#*

NEUTRALIZATION OF PITCHING MOMENT

DRAG

THRUST

CG

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT PARAMETERS IN LEVEL FLIGHT

E$*.T

AIRCRAFT ATTITUDE IN LEVEL FLIGHT

EFFECT OF WEIGHT
$f weight of an aircraft 0fl"ing level at a +nown A)A3 is reduced b" dropping stores5 the speed must be decreased to maintain the same angle of attac+ L / 01-23 4V2, (L

REVISION
Lift Drag Thrust eight Pitching Moments Variation of speed in level flight Aircraft attitude in level flight Effect of weight on level flight

QUESTIONS
hat is ,traight 6 Level &light (ondition7
Lift / eight Thrust / Drag

hat is weight7
$t is the force of gravit" of the earth acting through centre of gravit"

$n level flight5 if an" nose up or nose down tendenc" occurs5 how sustained level flight can be achieved7
Elevator control will provide the necessar" correcting force to trim the aircraft#

To obtain a necessar" amount of Lift at Low ,peed5 aircraft re'uires

$n level flight5 if an aircraft reduce its weight b" dropping stores5 what should be done with the speed to maintain the same A)A7
a3 $ncrease speed b3 Decrease speed 8ecause less lift is re'uired to maintain the level flight with the reduction of weight.

(.P 19 .$*. ,PEED &L$*.T

Low speed aerod"namics based on assumption air is incompressible# At low speeds amount of compression is negligible# ,peeds approaching that of sound5 compression 6 expansion of streamline patterns are different# Low subsonic speeds flow pattern is established#

Definitions

The speed at which a ver" small pressure disturbance is propagated in a fluid under certain conditions# ,peed of sound is proportional to absolute temperature 0;<3# Local ,peed of ,ound L,, / => ? @absolute temperature

,peed of ,ound:

L,, at M,L / AA1 +ts5 6 L,, at =A5BBB&T / 9C> +ts Mach Number (M) :%atio of True Air ,peed 0TA,3 to the local speed of sound applicable to air temperature# Mach No# 0M3 / TA,-L,, At M,L with temp 19;(

TA, /92> +ts and L,,/ AA1 +ts M/ 92>-AA1 / B#CB &ree ,tream Mach No# 0M&,3: Mach No# of a flow at a point unaffected b" the presence of aircraft# Local Mach Number 0ML3: hen an aerofoil is placed in a subsonic air flow5 the flow is accelerated in some places5 6 slowed down in others# The local M is the speed at some specified region of flow 5 6 ma" be greater than5 the same or lower than M&,# (ritical Mach Number 0M(%$T3 Lowest M&, which for a given aerofoil 6 angle of attac+5 gives rise to M1 of 1#B on the aerofoil# (ompressibilit" Mach No# At which control of aircraft becomes difficult due compressibilit" effect# (ritical Drag %ise Mach No# Mach No# at which an appreciable increase of D%A* associated with compressibilit" effects# !suall" 1BD19E higher than M(%$T # A$% &L) ,ubsonic flow when free stream M are such that local M are less than
1#B at al places#

is high enough to produce ML5 some of which are greater than 1#B# ,upersonic flow M&, is such that at all points ML are greater than 1#B # ."personic flow M&, is greater than 9#B

Transonic flow The M&,

,peed of ,ound An"thing moving in air creates pressure waves5 these waves move in all direction and travel with the speed of sound# $f the obFect moves with less than the speed of sound 5 these pressure waves will move awa" from the obFect# Aircraft moving with ver" high speed have sound waves behind it which gives rise to problems of high speed flights

 Pressure sound

aves with obFect moving at different speeds of

,.)(<

AVE

AVE D%A* Aircraft not designed for transonic- supersonic5 formation of shoc+ waves will have a mar+ed effect on L$&T5 D%A* 6 on the general stabilit"-control of aircraft# ,eparation of airflow behind the shoc+ wave due to pressure rise leads to boundar" la"er separation 6 reduced L$&T# $ncrease in D%A* is ver" pronounced at M(%$T and produces AVE D%A*#
$ncrease in speed further to over come Drag &orce would move the shoc+ wave further towards the trailing edge# The L$&T would start to increase 6 D%A* would decrease# This is true for those aircraft which are designed for transonic 6 supersonic flights# The total L$&T developed at supersonic speed is less than that developed at subsonic for same angle of attac+#

Variation of Cd with Mach No. at constant angle of attack.

Variation of CL with Mach No. at constant angle of attack.

ave Drag ,ources:

 Energ" Drag# Nature of changes occurring as a flow crosses a shoc+ wave# Energ" lost due to temperature rise across the shoc+ wave becomes drag on the aerofoil# More obli'ue shoc+ wave less energ" is absorbed5 energ" drag rises as M&, increases# 8oundar" La"er ,eparation# (onsiderable flow separation occurs at certain stages of shoc+ wave The turbulence represents lost energ" and contributes to D%A*# As M&, increases through transonic range5 shoc+ wave moves towards trailing edge and 8L separation decreases5 thus Drag decreases# %ED!(T$)N of AVE D%A* ings must have sharp leading edges 6 thin section to +eep deflection angle to minimum to produce a wea+ shoc+ wave# Thin wings have reduced camber so the adverse pressure gradient across shoc+ wave will be smaller 6 the shoc+ wave strength will be reduced# &uselage being long for a given minimum crossDsectional area will have reduced wave drag#

Effects of (ompressibilit" on L$&T ,ubsonic %ise in (L $ncrease in velocit" G Decrease in Pressure Velocit" increase greater in compressible flow than in an incompressible flow for the same wing5 the pressure will be lower5 thus lift greater for a wing in compressible flow# At low speeds air can be considered as incompressible5 lift is proportional to V2 and (L can be assumed constant for same angle of attac+#

 At moderatel" high speeds densit" changes become significant5 lift increases at a rate higher than indicated b" V2 i#e# (L increases for the same angle of attac+# Effects of (ompressibilit" on L$&T ,ubsonic %ise in (L 0(ontHd3 Amount of warning air gets of wingHs approach# As speed increases5 compressibilit" effects increase 6 reduced x causes flow displacement to start closer to wing# This effectivel" increases angle of attac+ thus the (L # A slight loss of lift due to forward movement of stagnation point# .owever5 overall there is an increase in (L # Effects of (ompressibilit" on L$&T Transonic Variations in (L

Effects of $ncreasing Mach No on ,tabilit" Transonic Longitudinal ,tabilit" Aircraft experience a nose down pitch due to: %earward movement of (P which increases Longitudnal ,tabilit"# Modification of airflow over the tail plane# At some Mach No# aircraft will become unstable re'uiring a rearward movement of control column# Large up deflection of elevator- tail plane reduces the amount of control deflection for manoeuvers# Effects of $ncreasing Mach No on ,tabilit" 0(ontHd3 ,upersonic Lateral ,tabilit" $t depends after sideslip on lower wing developing lift# ,ince (L decreases in supersonic flight5 the correcting

force is reduced5 Dihedral 6 sweep bac+ are conse'uentl" less effective# Lift-Drag ratio decreases due to surface friction drag# This phenomena is caused as result of differences between upper 6 lower surfaces combined with the pressure at the wing tips and their associated Mach cones Effects of $ncreasing Mach No on ,tabilit" 0(ontHd3 Directional ,tabilit" Trend of rear mounted engines56 conse'uentl" an aft (* means a decreased arm about which the &in can act# Decrease in (L for a given A)A caused b" sideslip in supersonic range means a reduction in &in effectiveness# ,ubsonicall"5 fuselage side forces in a sideslip act in front of (* 6 vertical &in surfaces are able to overcome the destabiliIing conditions# $n supersonic flights 5 fuselage side forces move forward# $f relative air flow is off the longitudnal axis a destabiliIing force at the nose results# This is caused b" as"mmetr" in strength of the two shoc+ waves producing a pressure gradient across the nose# Mach Trim: Device that corrects or compensates for longitudnal instabilit" at high Mach no# $t corrects or compensates for the initial increase in speed when aircraft goes in a nose down pitch# Trimmer is programmed to sense Mach No 6 feed a signal to elevator- stabiliIer to maintain a positive stabilit"# Mach Trim operation does not show up during normal conditions but would upon activation illuminate a monitor light or move the trim wheel# MA(. T%$M