Book Description

This text offers an analytic description of the dynamic behavior of an aircraft in flight. The explanation firstly covers in detail the build up and characterization of an analytic model for aircraft in flight. The proposed derivation process allows the reader to obtain an in-depth knowledge of the principles and assumptions employed in the obtainment of the equations describing the dynamic response of an aircraft, in parallel yielding suggestions on how to easily obtain models for other flying machines. Secondly, the model representing aircraft dynamics is populated, employing as much as possible additional simple models, linking basic aerodynamic and geometrical characteristics of an aircraft to the corresponding re- presentation in terms of coefficients. Finally, the dynamic performance of a typical aircraft is analyzed, making use of the notions on the dynamic behavior and on the typical values and balance of aircraft-specific coefficients. In this latter part, following an analysis of a equilibrium conditions, static and dynamic stability qualities are analyzed. An introduction to the conditioning of free dynamics through the design of a stability augmentation system is included as well. This book aims to support engineers as well as engineering students at the graduate level, of- fering a concise yet in-depth description of the dynamic behavior of a flying aircraft, trying to keep a rigorous approach to a greater extent than what is usual in the field. This should hopefully foster the comprehension of the key features in the model derivation process, and consequently the range of validity and applicability of the corresponding formulation. This focus on analytic modeling provides the reader with a key-asset when dealing with engineering problems, for example flight simulation, model identification and flight control design. Therefore, the present books attempts to mark a first relevant step in consolidating the notions required to face more specialized topics in aeronautical engineering.