Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The center of pressure of an aircraft is the point where all of the aerodynamic pressure field may be represented by a single force vector with no moment. [3] [4] A similar idea is the aerodynamic center which is the point on an airfoil where the pitching moment produced by the aerodynamic forces is constant with angle of attack. [5] [6] [7]
The aerodynamic center is the point at which the pitching moment coefficient for the airfoil does not vary with lift coefficient (i.e. angle of attack), making analysis simpler. [ 1 ] d C m d C L = 0 {\displaystyle {dC_{m} \over dC_{L}}=0} where C L {\displaystyle C_{L}} is the aircraft lift coefficient .
The wind frame is a convenient frame to express the aerodynamic forces and moments acting on an aircraft. In particular, the net aerodynamic force can be divided into components along the wind frame axes, with the drag force in the − x w direction and the lift force in the − z w direction.
Pitching moment changes pitch angle A graph showing coefficient of pitching moment with respect to angle of attack for an airplane.. In aerodynamics, the pitching moment on an airfoil is the moment (or torque) produced by the aerodynamic force on the airfoil if that aerodynamic force is considered to be applied, not at the center of pressure, but at the aerodynamic center of the airfoil.
Aircraft flight mechanics are relevant to fixed wing (gliders, aeroplanes) and rotary wing (helicopters) aircraft.An aeroplane (airplane in US usage), is defined in ICAO Document 9110 as, "a power-driven heavier than air aircraft, deriving its lift chiefly from aerodynamic reactions on surface which remain fixed under given conditions of flight".
In larger aircraft, weight and balance is often expressed as a percentage of mean aerodynamic chord, or MAC. For example, assume the leading edge of the MAC is 62 inches aft of the datum. Therefore, the CG calculated above lies 32 inches aft of the leading edge of the MAC. If the MAC is 80 inches in length, the percentage of MAC is 32 / 80 = 40%.
At low angles of attack, the lift is generated primarily by the wings, fins and the nose region of the body. The total lift acts at a distance ahead of the centre of gravity (it has a negative value in the figure), this, in missile parlance, is the centre of pressure . If the lift acts ahead of the centre of gravity, the yawing moment will be ...
push the side areas of the aircraft below the centre of gravity to the left, a roll-in, Also, an aerodynamic force is imposed by the relative vertical positions of the fuselage and the wings, creating a roll-in leverage if the fuselage is above the wings, as in a low wing configuration; or roll-out if below, as in a high-wing configuration.