Aircraft Stability and Control

Roll Stability & Control

AEAS 315
Md Jalal Uddin Rumi
Assistant Professor, AE Dept. MIST

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Introduction to Static Lateral Stab (Roll stability)
• The lateral stability analysis deals with the motion
about x-axis.

2
 Introduction to Static Lateral Stab (Roll stability)
• The rotation about x-axis leads to the bank angle
Φ
• A disturbance would change the bank angle from
Φ to (Φ + ΔΦ).
• For static stability about x-axis, an airplane
should develop, a rolling moment to bring the
airplane to the original bank angle.

3
 Introduction to Static Lateral Stab (Roll stability)
• Let us consider an airplane in a steady, level
flight. In this flight the x-axis coincides with the
velocity vector (V) and Φ= 0. Let the airplane be
given a bank angle Φ gently so that the rate of
roll is negligible. It is noticed that even in the
banked position the aerodynamic field remains
symmetric about the plane of symmetry. Hence,
no restoring rolling moment is produced. Thus,
the airplane is neutrally stable about x-axis.

4
 Introduction to Static Lateral Stab (Roll stability)
– When an airplane has a sideslip it produces both rolling
moment and yawing moment. If the rolling moment so
produced, tends to restore the airplane to the original attitude
of Φ = 0, then it can be considered as a stabilizing effect.
• Rolling moment due to sideslip is called dihedral effect.

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 Introduction to Static Lateral Stab (Roll stability)
• Roll angle in itself does not change significantly the apparent forces on
the aircraft, which could generate a restoring rolling moment.

Wcos

Wsin

• Rule of thumb: Roll causes yaw and yaw causes roll

• Hence, static lateral stability involves the study of rolling moments due
to sideslip

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 Introduction to Static Lateral Stab
• Sign convention: Rt wing down is +ve
• So for static lateral stability we need:
– Rt wing down disturbance led to +ve sideslip (due to Wsin). Now against
this +ve sideslip we want rt wing up (-ve) moment to be generated. Hence

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 Roll Stability
• Hence for static lateral stability we need
Cl  =  Cl / < 0
– Generally a light stability is preferable, as hi lateral stability causes
following problems
• Poor rolling performance (generally true for other 2 type of stability as well
i.e. hi long stab leads to poor pitch perf and hi dir stab leads to poor turn
perf)
• Undesirable oscillations - Dutch Roll
• Undesirable X-wind take-off & landings

• Basic form of the equation is exactly same as dir stab:

 Cl = Cl .  + Cl a . a
• The Roll stability parameter Cl comes from 4 contributions
1. Cl due to Wing Dihedral ()
2. Cl due to Wing Sweep ()
3. Cl due to Position of wing on fuselage
4. Cl due to Vertical tail

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 Dihedral () Contribution to Roll Stability
• A wing is said to have a dihedral, when the tips of the
wing are at a higher level than the root of the wing. The
contribution to C′lβ due to dihedral angle ( Γ ) can be
calculated with the following steps.

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 Dihedral () Contribution to Roll Stability
– Assume that the airplane rolls to right. It develops positive β.
– Vsin β is the sideward component of the relative velocity (side wind).
– The component of the side wind (V sin β) perpendicular to the wing is V sin
β sin Γ. But, it is upward on the right wing and downward on the left wing.

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 Dihedral () Contribution to Roll Stability
• Δα, the magnitude of the change in the angle of attack on the two wing
halves, is:
𝑉𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛽𝑠𝑖𝑛Γ 𝑣
Δ𝑎 = = 𝛽Γ = Γ
𝑉 𝑉
𝑣 = 𝑉𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛽 𝑆𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦
Δα on the right wing = βΓ and Δα on the left wing = -βΓ. Hence, the lifts on the
two wing halves are unequal and a rolling moment is produced.
Rolling moment due to Δα on the right wing is:
𝑏
1
𝑅𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑅𝑡 𝑊𝑖𝑛𝑔 = 𝐿′𝑤𝑟 = − 𝜌𝑉 2 𝐶𝐿𝑎 Δ𝑎 න 𝑐𝑦 𝑑𝑦
2 0
𝑏
1
𝑅𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝐿𝑡 𝑊𝑖𝑛𝑔 = 𝐿′𝑤𝑙 = − 𝜌𝑉 2 𝐶𝐿𝑎 Δ𝑎 න 𝑐𝑦 𝑑𝑦
2 0
𝑏
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝑡𝑜 Γ = 𝐿𝑤 Γ = −𝜌𝑉 2 𝐶𝐿𝑎 Δ𝑎 න 𝑐𝑦 𝑑𝑦
0
2 𝑏
Δ𝑎 = 𝛽Γ, yത = න 𝑐𝑦 𝑑𝑦
𝑆 0
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 Dihedral () Contribution to Roll Stability
𝑆
𝐿𝑤 Γ = −𝜌𝑉 2 𝐶𝐿𝑎 𝛽Γ 𝑦ത
2
𝐿𝑤 Γ 𝑦ത
= −𝛽Γ𝐶𝐿𝑎
1 2 𝑏
𝜌𝑉 𝑆𝑏
2
𝑦ത
𝐶𝑙 𝑤 = −𝛽Γ𝐶𝐿𝑎
Γ 𝑏
𝑦ത
𝐶𝑙 𝛽 = −Γ𝐶𝐿𝑎
Γ 𝑏
Positive dihedral (tip above the root), contributes towards
stabilizing the wing

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 Contribution of Wing Sweep
• Assume that the airplane rolls to right. It develops positive β.
• The normal components of free stream velocity (V) are different
on the two wing halves.
• This gives rise to different drags on the two wing halves and
contributes to yawing moment (discussed before)
• Similarly, the difference in normal velocity components would
result in the lift on the two wing halves being different in this
case. This would give rise to a rolling moment.

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 Contribution of Wing Sweep
• The contribution of sweep to C′lβ is obtained by the following steps.
1 𝑆
𝐿′𝑤𝑟 Λ = − 𝜌𝑉 2 𝑦𝐶 ത 𝐿 cos 2 Λ − 𝛽
2 2
′ 1 2𝑆
𝐿𝑤𝑙 Λ = 𝜌𝑉 𝑦𝐶 ത 𝐿 cos 2 Λ + 𝛽
2 2
1 2𝑆
𝐿𝑤 Λ = − 𝜌𝑉 𝑦𝐶 ത 𝐿 cos 2 Λ − 𝛽 − cos 2 Λ + 𝛽
2 2
1 2𝑆
𝐿𝑤 Λ = − 𝜌𝑉 𝑦𝐶 ത 4𝑐𝑜𝑠Λ𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛽𝑠𝑖𝑛Λ𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛽
2 2 𝐿

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 Contribution of Wing Sweep
• For small 𝛽
1 2
𝐿𝑤 Λ = − 𝜌𝑉 𝑆𝑦𝐶
ത 𝐿 𝛽𝑠𝑖𝑛2Λ
2
′ 𝑦ത
𝐶𝑙𝑤 Λ = −𝐶𝐿 𝛽𝑠𝑖𝑛2Λ
𝑏
′ 𝑦ത
𝐶𝑙𝛽 = −𝐶𝐿 𝑠𝑖𝑛2Λ
Λ 𝑏
The contribution due to sweep back is negative and hence
stabilizing

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 Contribution from fuselage
• The contribution of
fuselage to C′lβ arises due
to the interference effect.
• For high wing case the
change in angle of attack,
Δα, is positive on the right
wing and negative on the
left wing. This would
result in a negative rolling
moment which is a
stabilizing contribution.
• For a low wing
configuration the effect
would be opposite and a
destabilizing contribution.

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 Cl contribution from vertical tail
• A vertical tail with a positive β causes a negative side force. This
side force generally acts above the c.g and would contribute a
negative rolling moment.

Generally (C′lβ)v is small

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Lateral (roll) Control

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 Lateral (roll) Control
• Basic form of the equation was:
 Cl = [ Cl) + Cl) + Cl)wf + Cl)F ] .  + Cl a . a
• Aileron deflection cause differential lift which leads to rolling moment
• Cl a is aileron control power, which depends on type of control surface
and the proportion of wing area this aileron acts on. Its value is
generally determined experimentally
• Above eqn could be solved to find out the aileron deflection required to
hold (with equilibrium) a certain sideslip (usually required for take-
off/landings)
• Roll stability opposed the rolling moment from ailerons
• Steady-state roll is defined as a roll which has no sideslip, some rolling
moment from aileron deflection, but opposing roll stability sufficient to
avoid an accelerating roll (damping in roll concept, exactly like damping
in pitch concept). Thus for a steady state roll,  Cl = 0 and  = 0

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 Chapter Summary
• Static Longitudinal (pitch) Stability & Control
– Cm = Cm0 + Cm + Cmee (= 0 for equilibrium)
• Cm0 = Cm0w + Cm0t + Cm0f
={ Cmacw+CL0w(xcg-xac)/c } + VHCLt(0+iw-it) + Cm0f
• Cm = Cmw + Cmt + Cmf
= CLw [xcg-xac]/c – VHCLt(1-d/d) + Cmf
• Cme = – VH (dCLt/de)
– Che = Ch0 + Chtt + Chee + Chtt
• Static Directional (yaw) Stability & Control
– Cn = Cn. + Cnr.r (= 0 for equilibrium)
• Cn = Cnwf + Cnv
• Cnwf = – K (Sfslf)/ Sb
• Cnv = Vv v CLv (1+d/d)
• Cnr = – v Vv (dCLv/dr)

• Static Lateral (roll) Stability & Control

–  Cl = Cl .  + Cl a . a (= 0 for equilibrium)
• Cl = Cl + Cl + Clwf + ClF
• ClF = - VF F CLF . (1- /)
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