This paper deals with the evaluation of the flight dynamics response of aircraft with a PrandtlPlane configuration by means of simple models to be used during the preliminary design. The study is completed by method that allows an initial sizing of the elevator and the aileron in such the way adequate requirements can be achieved: this analysis becomes important when the control surfaces can be located in both the front and the rear wing. The flight dynamics model is carried out considering the aircraft rigid, the steady aerodynamics, and separating the longitudinal and the lateral-directional motions. In this way classic equations are considered; for both the phugoid and the short period, equations are extended taking also the Zq derivative into account because of the non-conventional wing configuration. The force derivatives are extrapolated through a VLM solver whose the reliability of the results has been proven. The sizing methods have been applied to a test case derived from the project IDINTOS; as general results, the study remarks the possibility to obtain proper longitudinal dynamic response with a reduced longitudinal Stability Margin because of the very high values of the aerodynamic damping Mq.

Cite and Share

Oliviero, F., Zanetti, D. & Cipolla, V. Flight dynamics model for preliminary design of PrandtlPlane wing configuration with sizing of the control surfaces. Aerotec. Missili Spaz. 95, 201–210 (2016)

Full-text here: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03404728