NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Collections About News Help Login
Back to Results
Flight Tests of a 0.13-Scale Model of the Convair XFY-1 Vertically Rising Airplane with the Lower Vertical Tail Removed, TED No.DE 368An experimental investigation has been conducted to determine the dynamic stability and control characteristics in hovering and transition flight of a 0.13-scale flying model of the Convair XFY-1 vertically rising airplane with the lower vertical tail removed. The purpose of the tests was to obtain a general indication of the behavior of a vertically rising airplane of the same general type as the XFY-1 but without a lower vertical tail in order to simplify power-off belly landings in an emergency. The model was flown satisfactorily in hovering flight and in the transition from hovering to normal unstalled forward flight (angle of attack approximately 30deg). From an angle of attack of about 30 down to the lowest angle of attack covered in the flight tests (approximately 15deg) the model became progressively more difficult to control. These control difficulties were attributed partly to a lightly damped Dutch roll oscillation and partly to the fact that the control deflections required for hovering and transition flight were too great for smooth flight at high speeds. In the low-angle-of-attack range not covered in the flight tests, force tests have indicated very low static directional stability which would probably result in poor flight characteristics. It appears, therefore, that the attainment of satisfactory directional stability, at angles of attack less than 10deg, rather than in the hovering and transition ranges of flight is the critical factor in the design of the vertical tail for such a configuration.
Document ID
20050028502
Acquisition Source
Langley Research Center
Document Type
Other - NACA Research Memorandum
Authors
Lovell, Powell M., Jr. (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. Langley Aeronautical Lab. Langley Field, VA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 22, 2013
Publication Date
May 12, 1954
Subject Category
Aircraft Stability And Control
Report/Patent Number
NACA-RM-SL54E07
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

Related Records

There are no records associated with this record.
No Preview Available