
Glide Flight Performance Characteristics
by admin in Aerospace , Control Systems & Aerospace , MATLAB Family on April 17, 2019This code is a GUI type that calculates the Glide flight performance for both Minimum Sink Rate and Minimum Glide Angle (Flattest Glide). The code outputs are:
For Minimum Glide Angle:
- Minimum Glide Angle.
- Flight Speed (For Minimum Glide Angle).
- Lift Coefficient (For Minimum Glide Angle).
- Drag Coefficient (For Minimum Glide Angle).
- Flight Efficiency (For Minimum Glide Angle).
- Flight Range (For Minimum Glide Angle).
- Flight Time ‘Endurance’ (For Minimum Glide Angle).
- Sink Rate (For Minimum Glide Angle).
For Minimum Sink Rate:
- Glide Angle (For Minimum Sink Rate).
- Flight Speed (For Minimum Sink Rate).
- Lift Coefficient (For Minimum Sink Rate).
- Drag Coefficient (For Minimum Sink Rate).
- Flight Efficiency (For Minimum Sink Rate).
- Flight Range (For Minimum Sink Rate).
- Flight Time ‘Endurance’ (For Minimum Sink Rate).
- Minimum Sink Rate.
Required Inputs are:
To run the program you need to insert the following six values:
- Initial Glide Height.
- Final Glide Height.
- Reference Area
- Airplane Weight
- Zero-Lift Drag Coefficient CDo
- K: constant of CL^2 in the drag polar equation (CD = CDO + K*CL^2)
The code based on Pamadi[1] and Saarlas[2] equations of performance of jet engine aircraft in cruise flight.
Example you can try with this program:
A glider having weight W = 2000 N, reference area S = 8.0 m2, and drag polar given by CD = 0.009 + 0.06CL^2, is launched from a height of 300 m. Determine the maximum range, corresponding glide angle, forward velocity, and lift coefficient.
Used Terms:
- L: Lift
- D: Drag
- CD0: Zero-Lift Drag Coefficient
- K: Weight of CL^2 in Drag Polar (CD = CD0 + K*CL^2)
- CL: Lift Coefficient
Program Interface:
The Program has one interface where you need to inter 6 requirements from the studied airplane and you will get 8 results for each case, there are a chart you can present it by clicking on the button ‘Show Chart’ this chart explains some of the parameters you are going to find.
Notes:
- The negative sign for Glide Angle means the the flight in tending downward.
- The final height of the airplane is zero ‘0’ or any flight less than the initial one.
References:
[1] Bandu N. Pamadi, Performance, Stability, Dynamics, and Control of Airplanes, Second Edition, at NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia.
[2] Maido Saarlas, Aircraft Performance, Department of Aeronautics Engineering at U.S. Naval Academy.
Share Now!