Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: funkedup on August 29, 2003, 03:20:59 PM

Title: Why Longitudinal Stability is Bad
Post by: funkedup on August 29, 2003, 03:20:59 PM

Edit:  Buncha half baked stuff deleted.  LOL

Title: Why Stability is Bad
Post by: funkedup on August 29, 2003, 04:02:37 PM

Also, planes with high stability margins also have greater pitch trim requirements.

Title: Re: Why Longitudinal Stability is Bad
Post by: TimRas on August 29, 2003, 04:28:26 PM

Quote

Originally posted by funkedup
Greater stability margins mean less tail lift or even negative tail lift in level flight.  

Most aircraft have their CG aft of the aerodynamic centre where the lift acts and therefore have a basically upwards tail load for balance. Any wing camber adds a download and the total may be up or down, but its direction does not influence stability. This depends where the neutral point is, controlled by the size of the tail, which does not affect the tail load. So if you want a large tail upload, instability is unnecessary.

Title: Why Stability is Bad
Post by: funkedup on August 29, 2003, 07:10:22 PM

EDIT:  Ahh crap you're right, I screwed up LOL.

Title: Why Stability is Bad
Post by: funkedup on August 29, 2003, 07:50:34 PM

Quote

This depends where the neutral point is, controlled by the size of the tail, which does not affect the tail load.

That's what got me.  I looked at all my examples again and they were all SM = 0!!!  Too many tard flakes for breakfast.  :D