AE 430 - Stability and Control of

Aerospace Vehicles

Directional Stability

Static directional stability

Static directional stability is a

measure of the aircraft's
resistance to slipping. The greater
the static directional stability the
quicker the aircraft will turn into a
relative wind which is not aligned
with the longitudinal axis.
In an equilibrium condition (figure (a)),
an airplane flies so that the yaw angle
is zero. To have static directional
stability, the appropriate positive or
negative yawing moment should be
generated to compensate for a
negative or positive sideslip angle
excursion

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Directional (Weathercock) stability

The main contributor to the static directional stability

is the fin. Both the size and arm of the fin
determine the directional stability of the aircraft.
The further the vertical fin is behind the center of
gravity the more static directional stability the aircraft
will have. (This is often called the weather veining
effect, because it works the same way as a weather
vein.)
As mentioned previously all rotational motions of the
aircraft occur around the center of gravity.
Directional stability refers to motions around the
normal axis.

Stable/unstable aircraft

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 This figure shows the variation of yawing-moment coefficient
with sideslip angle. This positively sloping line indicates a
directionally stable case.

Wing contribution to directional

stability

A wing produces two effects that give a yawing moment with

sideslip. The important one is due to sweep-back angle, and
the other minor effect is due to geometric dihedral.
(Both effects are stabilizing)

The second effect,

due to dihedral,
results from a tilt of
the lift vector
Directional and lateral effects of wing
with sideslip. sweep due to sideslip

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Lateral Effects

Wing Dihedral
– Dihedral effects
due to sideslip
– Sideslip produces
two important
effects other than
those mentioned
directional
effects:
rolling
moment
side force
Wing Sweep
Fuselage

Contribution to directional stability

Fuselage and engine

nacelles (in general are
destabilizing)

S fs l f
Cnβ = − kn k RL
wf S wb

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 Contribution to
directional stability

Reynolds number
Wing-body interference factor correction factor

Vertical tail contribution

Yv = −CLα α v Qv Sv
v

αv = β + σ αv
σ
β

Sidewash due to
Yv
wing vortices

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Moment produced by a side force

N v = lvYv = lv CLα α v Qv Sv = lv CLα

v v
( β + σ ) Qv Sv
Nv QS
Cn = = lv v v CLα ( β + σ ) = Vvηv CLα ( β + σ )
Qw Sb Qw Sb v v

Sv lv
Vv = Vertical tail volume ratio
Sb
Q
ηv = v Dynamic pressure ratio
Qw

Contribution vertical tail to directional

stability

dσ
Cnβ = Vvηv CLα 1+
v v dβ
USAF Stability and Control Datcom:

dσ Sv S z
ηv 1 + = 0.724 + 3.06 + 0.4 w + 0.009 ARw
dβ 1 + cos Λ c 4w d

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Some comments
The moment associated with yawing and rolling are cross-coupled,
i.e., the angular velocity in yaw produces rolling moments and vice
versa. If a pilot steps on a rudder pedal causing the aircraft to yaw
one wing will advance and the other will retreat. The faster moving
wing produce more lift than the other which will cause a roll in the
same direction as the yaw. This will be exaggerated by wing
dihedral.
At a normal flight, i.e., steady rectilinear symmetric motion, all the
lateral motion and force variables are zeroes.
There is no fundamental trimming problem: control surfaces
(ailerons and rudder) would normally undeflected.
Lateral control provides secondary trimming functions in the case
of asymmetry.
Effects of CG movement are negligible on lateral and directional
stability
Due to cross-coupling effect, (e.g., the rolling motion will cause
sideslip), we investigate the directional and lateral effects of
sideslip.

Directional Control

Rudder
Positive rudder
deflection, produces
a positive side force, that
will produce a negative
yawing moment
N = −lvYv
Yv = CLv Qv Sv

N Q S dCLv
Cn = = −lv v v δr
Qw Sb Qw Sb d δ r
dCLv (+)
Cn = −ηvVv δr
dδ r

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Requirements for Directional Control

Table from R. Nelson book

– Adverse yaw
– Crosswind landings
– Asymmetric power condition
– Spin recovery

Rudder control effectiveness

dCLv
Cn = Cnδ r δ r Cnδ r = −ηvVv
dδ r
dCLv dCLv dα v
= = CLα v τ
dδ r dα v d δ r

A 747 lands in a very strong

cross-wind

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Adverse Yaw

Roll-Yaw Coupling
Asymmetric aileron deployment produces asymmetric drag
Asymmetric drag produces adverse yaw
Rudders required for coordinated turn

Static Roll Stability

The roll moment created

on an airplane when it
start to slip depend on:
– Wing dihedral angle Γ
– Wing sweep Λ
– Position of wing on the
fuselage
– Vertical tail

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 Dihedral Effect
Figure (a) shows a head-on
view of an airplane that has
dihedral where the wings
are turned up at some
dihedral angle to the
horizontal. If a disturbance
causes one wing to drop
relative to the other (figure
(b)), the lift vector rotates
and there is a component of
the weight acting inward
which causes the airplane to
move sideways in this
direction. When wings have
dihedral, the wing toward
the free-stream velocity,
hence the lower wing, will
experience a greater angle
of attack than the raised
wing and hence greater lift.
There results a net force
and moment tending to vn
reduce the bank angle ∆α = vn = v sin Γ
(figure (c)). u

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Dihedral Effect

v
β≈ Approximation for the sideslip
u
∆α ≅ β Γ Down-moving wing

∆α ≅ − β Γ Up-moving wing

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Effect of wing placement on lateral stability -
Fuselage contribution to dihedral effect

Wing sweep effect on roll stability

The windward wing (less

effective sweep) will
experience more lift than
the trailing wing. The result
is that the sweepback
adds to the dihedral effect
On the other hand, sweep
forward will decrease the
effective dihedral effect

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Roll moment due to vertical tail

Roll Control

By differential deflection
of ailerons or by spoilers

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Roll Control

By differential deflection of
ailerons or by spoilers

∆L = ( ∆Lift ) y

∆L C Qcydy C cydy
∆Cl = = =
QSb QSb Sb Tapered wing

dα λ −1
c = cr 1 + y
C =C δ a = C α τδ a b2
α
dδ a
2CLα τδ a y2
Cl = w
cydy 2CLα τ y2 Control
Sb y1 Clδ = w
cydy
a Sb y1 power

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