Lateral stability
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
- Ernst Götsch: Aircraft technology. Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-613-02006-8