Lateral stability

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The term lateral stability describes the ability of an aircraft to react to disturbances occurring around the longitudinal axis (e.g. gusts) in such a way that the original flight position is restored without the pilot having to do anything . Lateral stability counteracts the roll tendency of an aircraft.

The transverse stability of an aircraft is determined in particular by the V-position and the sweep of the wings.

In addition, the vertical arrangement of the wings on the fuselage ( high- wing , low- wing , ...) influences the lateral stability.

Importance in aircraft design

Lateral stability is an important aspect in aircraft construction. With increasing lateral stability, the flight behavior becomes more 'good-natured' but at the same time less agile or sensitive to control commands around the longitudinal axis. Usually, the above. Features combined to achieve a certain degree of stability - depending on the requirements.

Summary

The following are simple rules of thumb:

The lateral stability of an aircraft increases with it

  • Increasing V-position (wings pointing upwards)
  • Increasing sweep (wings pointing backwards)
  • Lower center of gravity (e.g. on the high-decker)

literature