oriol
Well-Known Member
Hi all!
In case one day I´m abble to self design an construct a three axis airplane I would be happy to make sure prior to climb inside the cockpit that the airplane would have decent flying qualities.
The question that comes to my mind:
Is it posible to establish, more or less accurately during the preliminary design stages, if an airplane would particularly recover from a spin without having to wait to a flight test?
If so, does it requires expensive means like a wind tunnel?
If it´s not possible to ensure a minimum flying quality of the airplane prior to the flying tests, the test pilot is playing russian roulette.
The only option, that comes to my mind, to avoid unncesary risks for the test pilot is to evaluate the airplane by radio control from the ground first.
Although none of the major companies do that al least as a routine. Maybe a minimum flying qualities could be guaranteed by theoretical prediction, that is just maths on the paper?
I did a bit of research about spining on the forum. I was intrigued by a comment from aircar:
"At the Gliding club of Victoria we had a fleet of 6'identical' IS 28 two seaters but two of them would start pitch oscillations after a couple of turns and if unspin action was badly timed finished up vertical on exit --several others I have flown elsewhere had individual foibles also."
Is it that common to find that different response from various airplanes of the same model?
Maybe the controls were´nt properly compensated or trimed?
Oriol
In case one day I´m abble to self design an construct a three axis airplane I would be happy to make sure prior to climb inside the cockpit that the airplane would have decent flying qualities.
The question that comes to my mind:
Is it posible to establish, more or less accurately during the preliminary design stages, if an airplane would particularly recover from a spin without having to wait to a flight test?
If so, does it requires expensive means like a wind tunnel?
If it´s not possible to ensure a minimum flying quality of the airplane prior to the flying tests, the test pilot is playing russian roulette.
The only option, that comes to my mind, to avoid unncesary risks for the test pilot is to evaluate the airplane by radio control from the ground first.
Although none of the major companies do that al least as a routine. Maybe a minimum flying qualities could be guaranteed by theoretical prediction, that is just maths on the paper?
I did a bit of research about spining on the forum. I was intrigued by a comment from aircar:
"At the Gliding club of Victoria we had a fleet of 6'identical' IS 28 two seaters but two of them would start pitch oscillations after a couple of turns and if unspin action was badly timed finished up vertical on exit --several others I have flown elsewhere had individual foibles also."
Is it that common to find that different response from various airplanes of the same model?
Maybe the controls were´nt properly compensated or trimed?
Oriol
