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This page collects a selection of links to research papers and flight test videos primarily of interest to the general aviation pilot. References to military aircraft are made as well however, to illustrate the different flight characteristics of different aircraft designs, such that the general aviation pilot does not erroneously believe what is true for her/his aircraft is universally to for all aircraft designs.
Some of the videos can be rather long, and one needs to focus on the audio to catch what is going on, so some interesting passages are highlighted in the descriptions below, including a time index in square brackets indicating the location in the video.
Multiaxis Coupling of Inertial and Aerodynamic Parameters
- William H. Phillips, “Effect of Steady Rolling on Longitudinal and Directional Stability,” NACA Technical Note 1627, Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory, Langley Field, Virginia, June 1948.
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc54704/m2/1/high_res_d/19930082293.pdf - Richard E. Day, “Coupling Dynamics in Aircraft: A Historical Perspective,” NASA Special Publication 532, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, 1997.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/pdf/88484main_H-2106.pdf
High Angle-of-Attack Flying Qualities
Robert M. Seltzer and Glenn R. Rhodeside, “Fundamentals and Methods of High Angle-of-Attack Flying Qualities Research,” NADC-88020-60, AD-A235 994, Naval Air Development Center, Warminster, Pennsylvania, January 1988.
https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA235994.pdf
Comprehensive review article with many useful references.M.T. Moul and J.W. Paulson, “Dynamic Lateral Behavior of High Performance Aircraft,” NACA RM L58E16, 1958.
https://archive.org/details/nasa_techdoc_19630008169/mode/2up
Introduces Directional Departure Parameter and Lateral Control Departure Parameter (LCDP). (Their actual derivation from the equations of motion can be found, for instance, in the appendices of Day (1997) above.)
Spin Research
In this section we look specifically at references related to spin research.
Publications
Selected publications on spin research:
- Roy Robert Buehler, “The derivation, solution, and analysis of airplane spin equations modeled in an inertial coordinate system,” Thesis, Naval Postgraduate School, 1972.
https://calhoun.nps.edu/handle/10945/16063 - Robert Louis Champoux, “The numerical solution and analysis of airplane spin equations modeled in a fixed coordinate system,” Thesis, Naval Postgraduate School, 1972.
http://hdl.handle.net/10945/16270 - Sanger M. Burk, Jr., James S. Bowman, Jr., and William L. White, “Spin-Tunnel Investigation of the Spinning Characteristics of Typical Single-Engine General Aviation Airplane Designs, I – Low-Wing Model A: Effects of Tail Configurations,” NASA Technical Paper 1009, 1977.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19770026167.pdf - Kim Aaron, “Rotary Balance Prediction of Aircraft Spin Modes,” 1981.
https://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/crgis/images/f/f8/1981_Rotary_Balance_Prediction_of_Aircraft_Spin_Modes.pdf - S. D. Hill and C. A. Martin, “A Flight Dynamic Model of Aircraft Spinning,” Flight Mechanics Report 180, AD-A228 405, Department of Defence, Aeronautical Research Laboratory, Melbourne, Australia, 1990.
https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a228450.pdf - Christopher Bennett, Nicholas Lawson, “Aircraft spin analysis – theoretical predictions & comparison to flight test,” AIAA Flight Testing Conference, AIAA AVIATION Forum, 5-9 June 2017, Denver, Colorado, USA.
https://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/1826/12113/Aircraft_spin_analysis-2017.pdf;jsessionid=6E2A3A3B5C0667D3C7AF4A53A3F7D47B?sequence=1 - Courtney Allen, “Evaluation of Control Inputs on the Spin Recovery of the 8KCAB Super Decathlon,” Master’s Thesis, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, 2015.
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a622363.pdf
– The results in this thesis are vague at best (in part due to a too small number of flights), but the document gives you an idea how you could conceivably consider to conduct a similar investigation at home in your own airplane.
NASA Langley Research Center 20-Foot Spin Tunnel
The NASA Langley Research Center 20-Foot Spin Tunnel page contains not only a description of the spin tunnel, which was built in 1941 and in which much of the spin research in the United States has been conducted, but – towards the very bottom of the page – it also offers links to a variety of highly insightful videos from spin tests conducted in the tunnel. Many of the videos have been donated from retired researcher Paul Stough’s collection. The collection can be a bit overwhelming, so below we make a subjective selection of some of the videos of more interest primarily to pilots of small general aviation aircraft.
Link to video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzFgqtPVCZ0
Description of content with time index:
- [0:00 min]: Spin 1: Some oscillations, not completely stabilized, recovery in one turn.
- [1:15 min]: Spin 2: 2 turns normal pro spin controls. 4 turns ailerons against, 4 turns ailerons with, response to recovery controls.
- [3:00 min]: Spin 3: 5 turns, 5 turns, spin appeared to be steepening and increasing in RPM for ailerons against.
Ailerons neutral, normal pro-spin controls. - [4:50 min]: Spin 4: 6 turns normal pro-spin controls, rudder only recovery attempt. Had to use elevator finally to recover. Watch how spin accelerates during recovery as elevator is used.
- [6:30 min]: Spin 5: 6 turns normal pro-spin controls, elevator only recovery attempt. Airplane recovers. Test pilot held elevator against the forward stop until it started to pitch, then had to avoid the plane biting in and pitching over into negative g and relaxed the controls. PA-38 does recover with elevator only.
- [8:00 min] (11:30 actual beginning): Spin 6: 4 turns with normal pro-spin controls, then controls-free recovery attempt. Did not recover, spin stabilized. Ailerons are floating with, rudder about 1/3 with, elevator almost all the way back.
- [12:48 min] (fuel 10 gal. each tank): Spin 7: Spin to the right, otherwise like Spin 1, recovery after 2 turns. Rudder reversed. (Elevator?)
- Spin 8: like Spin 7 but recovery after 4 turns.
- [15:20 min]: Spin 8 or 9: Pro-spin controls for 4 turns followed by rudder-only recovery attempt. Recovers in 3/4 of a turn. Spin not stabilized after 4 turns, judging from a previous spin attempt with rudder only recovery, which would not respond to recovery (see Spin 4).
- [16:30 min]: 6 turn right spin, followed by rudder only recovery attempt. Recovered after 2.5-turns.
- [17:25 min]: 6 turns, normal pro-spin controls, rudder-only recovery attempt. Recovery after 1 3/4 turns.
- [18:20 min]: manual spin recovery, missing spin description. 4 turns, 4 ailerons floating with, maybe controls free?
- [19:30 min]: Spin 13: left 2 turns pro-spin controls, followed by controls-free recovery.
- [20:45 min]: will do one stall series on the way in.
Link to video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKcnM7tdzLU
Description of content with time index:
- [0.19 min]: SB2C-5: Low horizontal tail. Recovery attempt by full rudder reversal. No recovery. (Elevator seems to stay up.)
- [0:41 min]: SB2C-5: High horizontal tail. Good recovery.
- [1:07 min]: X-5: Recovery attempt by full rudder reversal. No recovery.
- [1:34 min]: X-5: Recovery attempted by full rudder reversal simultaneously with ailerons to full with the spin. Good recovery. (No information about elevator input.)
- [2:00 min]: Oscillatory spins.
- [2:52 min]: Spin simulator.
- [3:44 min] Turn indicator instrument, pedals, stick.
- [4:25 min]: Subject in erect spin.
- [5:19 min]: Pitching to inverted spin.
- [6:04 min]: Emergency recovery devices.
- [7:33]: Incipient spin research:
- [7:35]: Catapult.
- [7:53]: Outside testing.
Link to video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCG5xdy4k10&feature=youtu.be
Description of content with time index:
- [0:14 min]: Low-wing model No. 1: Low horizontal tail, partial length rudder. Two spin modes possible: 1. Steep mode, 2. Flat mode. No recovery in flat mode.
- [2:31 min]: Tail 2: tail moved forward and up on fuselage, full length rudder, only steep mode, recovery.
- [3:25 min]: Tail 3: T-tail, full length rudder.
- [4:14 min]: Spin-recovery parachute tests
- [5:10 min]: High-wing model No. 1: Low horizontal tail, only steep mode. Rudder opposite and elevator down.
- [6:02 min]: Smoke flow tests on large-scale high-wing model in Langley Spin Tunnel.
- [6:24 min]: Testing technique for dynamically scaled powered radio-controlled models.
- [8:11 min]: Flow-direction vanes on each wing tip indicate angle of attack and sideslip.
Link to video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1puk4GoFXZI
Around 12:00 min into the video, the spin starts which eventually prompts the test pilot to bail out.
NASA Langley Research Center: Stall/Spin Research Status Report. Link to video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn3RfeyhGWQ&feature=youtu.be
Description of content with time index:
- [0:14 min]: Tail No. 4: Low-rearward position of horizontal tail.
- [0:19 min]: Flat spin mode.
- [0:54 min]: Steep spin mode.
- [1:31 min]: Tail No. 2: Horizontal tail moved forward and up, partial length rudder.
- [1:37 min]: Steep spin mode. Recovery with rudder alone or rudder and elevator.
- [2:52 min]: Tail No. 3: Horizontal tail same, full length rudder. Steep spin mode. Recovery with rudder alone or rudder and elevator.
- [4:16 min]: Tail No. 7: Horizontal tail moved up, partial length rudder. Steep spin mode. Recovery with normal and increased rudder deflection.
- [5:39 min]: Tail No. 6: Horizontal tail same, full length rudder. Steep spin mode. Recovery with rudder reversal, as well as ruder reversal and elevator down.
- [6:56 min]: Tail No. 5: T-tail, full length rudder. Steep spin mode.
- [7:46 min]: Tail No. 4: Fix for flat spin mode. Strakes added to aft end of fuselage, semicircular cylinders added to bottom of fuselage.
- [8:53 min]: Effect of parachute riser length on flat spin recovery characteristics.
Aircraft Specifications (Aerodynamic and Physical Data)
This section contains aerodynamic and physical specifications for specific aircraft makes and models, which one can use for approximate calculations and exercises.
- John McIver, “Cessna Skyhawk II / 100 Performance Assessment” (2003).
http://temporal.com.au/c172.pdf
– Approximate aerodynamic data for the Cessna 172 Skyhawk collected and inferred from a variety of sources by John McIver.
– This data can be used for reasonable, back-of-the-envelope flight path calculations of the Cessna 172 Skyhawk.
– We also use it for verification of the results we obtain from flight tests conducted in Laminar Research’s X-Plane flight simulator (see Test Pilot Theory Section on this website). - Metrics for Various Aircraft.
http://jsbsim.sourceforge.net/MassProps.html
– Online table containing weight, moment of inertia matrix, wing area, span, etc. for various aircraft. This table has been used, for instance, in Bill Crawford’s Flightlab (2009) in the discussion about spins (Chapter 10). Robert K. Heffley and Wayne F. Jewell, “Aircraft Handling Qualities Data,” NASA CR-2144, Washington, December 1972.
http://jsbsim.sourceforge.net/NASA_CR-2144.pdf
Often cited aircraft data paper. Aircraft presented: NT-33, F-104A, F-4C, X-15, HL-10, Jetstar, CV-880, B-747, C-5A, XB-70A.