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Chapter 2 Problem Solutions

1. Where does yEC intersect the surface of the Earth?
Refer to figure 2.1. yEC intersects the surface of the earth at lati-
tude zero and longitude +90 deg (90 deg east longitude). In the Indian
Ocean, west of Sumatra and southeast of Sri Lanka.

2. Assume the Earth’s center is in uniform, unaccelerated motion with

respect to inertial space, and that the Earth rotates at a fixed rate of
ωE = 360 deg /day. Find {ωEC }EC , the inertial rotation of the Earth as
represented in FEC . That is, express the inertial rotation of the Earth
in terms of iEC , jEC , and kEC (rad/s).
By definition the rotation is about the zEC axis. The magnitude is
ωE = 360 deg /day = 7.272 × 10−5 rad/s.

{ωEC }EC = 7.272 × 10−5 kEC rad/s

 
3. Find gPE , the acceleration of gravity at a point p relative to the
E
Earth as represented in FE (f t/s2 ). Use g ≡ g = 32.174f t/s2 . The
gravity vector usually does not have subscripts of superscripts as these
will be suggested by context. In this problem it would simply be {g}E .
By definition the zE axis points toward the center of the Earth, so

{g}E = 32.174kE f t/s2

4. Use the same assumptions as in Problem 2. Consider an Earth-fixed

reference frame whose origin is 90 deg west longitude and on the equa-
tor. Find {ωE }E .
In this particualr case the vector of the Earth’s rotation is parallel to
xE so

{ωE }E = 7.272 × 10−5 iE rad/s

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5. Consider an aircraft flying due east along the equator. Define an Earth-
fixed coordinate system FE at zero longitude and zero latitude, and a
local horizontal coordinate system FH fixed to the center-of-gravity
(CG) of the aircraft. Describe the relationship between the axes of FE
and FH at the instant the aircraft is at zero longitude and zero latitude,
and again at the instant it is at 90 deg east longitude and zero latitude.
Initially the two reference frames are parallel and their respective axes
are oriented in the same sense; if the origins of the two frames were
made coincident the two frames would be identical.
When the aircraft is at 90 deg east longitude and zero latitude the local
horizontal reference frame has rotated 90 deg about the xH axis so that
zH is parallel but opposite in direction to yE . yH becomes parallel to
and in the same direction as zE . xH remains parallel to and in the
same direction as xE throughout the rotation.

6. Assume the Earth (uniform sphere) has a diameter of 6, 875 N.M. (nau-
tical miles). The aircraft in Problem 5 is flying at 500 knots relative
to an assumed
 stationary
  atmosphere, at a constant altitude of 1 N.M.
E EC
Find ωH and ωH .
H H
Stationary is taken to mean stationary with respect to the surface of the
Earth, and hence the atmosphere is fixed in FEC . The aircraft motion
as given is therefore relative
 to FEC . The aircraft velocity is purely
 EC 
tangential, so V = R ωH  in which R is the radius of the Earth plus
 2

EC 
one nautical mile, and ωH  is the magnitude of the rotation rate. At
  2
 EC 
500 knots, ωH  = 4.04 × 10−5 rad/s. Since FE is fixed with respect
2
to FEC , the rotation of FH with respect to FE has the same magnitude.
The rotation is about +xH , so
 
E
ωH = 4.04 × 10−5 iH rad/s
H

7. True or False:
The only requirement for xB and zB is that they lie in the plane of
symmetry, so clearly they can not in general be common. Because yB
is orthogonal to the plane of symmetry and have their origin at the
center of gravity, all yB are the same.
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(a) All body-fixed axis systems have a common x−axis. False.

(b) All body-fixed axis systems have a common y−axis. True.
(c) All body-fixed axis systems have a common z−axis. False.

8. True or False:
The only requirement for a body-carried axis system is that its origin
be at the CG. The directions of their axes are not in general related.

(a) All body-carried axis systems have a common x−axis. False.

(b) All body-carried axis systems have a common y−axis. False.
(c) All body-carried axis systems have a common z−axis. False.

9. An arbitrary body-axis system FB is related to FZ by a positive rotation

of 10 deg about their common y−axis. What is the angle of the relative
wind to xz when the net lift on the aircraft is zero (no sideslip)?
By definition, the angle is zero, or 180 deg if you look at it the other
way.

10. An aircraft
  is flying with velocity relative to the air mass of 500f t/s.
Find vCA .
W
 
 A
Clearly vC  = 500f t/s. Since xW is in the direction of the velocity
vector of the aircraft relative to the air mass, there is no component in
either the yW or zW directions.
 
vCA = 500iW f t/s
W

11. The figure that was used to define sideslip β shows yB in the plane of
xW − yW . Is this always the case?
Yes. All vectors through the CG that are orthogonal to zW lie in the
same plane. The axes xW and yW are orthogonal to zW by definition.
Since zW lies in the plane of symmetry, and yB is orthogonal to the
plane of symmetry, yB is also orthogonal to zW . Hence xW , yW , and
yB all lie in the same plane.