Introduction to Aircraft Flight Dynamics

A Virtual Textbook

Robert F. Stengel

Princeton University
Princeton, NJ

December 3, 2012

Introduction to Aircraft Flight Dynamics is an assemblage of bookmarks for web pages that contain educational material. The Table of Contents summarizes the Bookmarks Menu and provides links to each chapter. The Bookmarks Menu is organized to follow a logical sequence for associated lectures. Specific topics can be found using the "Search" feature of your web browser.

The majority of links in the Bookmarks Menu refer to sites contained at Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, which is published freely with a General Disclaimer. [As noted on the Wikipedia Main Page, Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.] All web pages can be modified or removed without notice, and Wikipedia is subject to unedited modifications by anyone, including experts and non-experts alike. Readers are cautioned that Wikipedia articles do not have the archival credibility of edited books and journals; however, no material that is known to be incorrect is referenced in the virtual textbook.

Contents of Introduction to Aircraft Flight Dynamics are subject to change. The current edition is indicated by the date shown above, and no backup version is maintained. The date of last revision is given below.

The Introduction to Aircraft Flight Dynamics html file may be downloaded freely for non-commercial, educational use only, with acknowledgment of the source in any publications that may follow. It conforms to the criteria outlined by Princeton University's Office of General Counsel's Copyright Basics. Any material that is deemed to infringe upon another's copyright will be promptly removed following verifiable notification by the copyright holder.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction, Mathematical Preliminaries
2. Point-Mass Dynamics and Aerodynamic Forces
3. Aviation History
4. Configuration Aerodynamics - 1
5. Configuration Aerodynamics - 2
6. Cruising Flight Performance
7. Gliding, Climbing, and Turning Performance
8. Aircraft Equations of Motion - 1
9. Aircraft Equations of Motion - 2
10. Linearized Equations and Modes of Motion
11. Longitudinal Dynamics
12. Lateral-Directional Dynamics
13. Analysis of Time Response
14. Root-Locus Analysis of Parameter Variations
15. Transfer Functions and Frequency Response
16. Aircraft Control Devices and Systems
17. Flight Testing for Stability and Control
18. Advanced Longitudinal Dynamics
19. Advanced Lateral-Directional Dynamics
20. Flying Qualities Criteria
21. Maneuvering, Aeroelasticity, and Control Interactions
22. Problems of High Speed and Altitude
23. Atmospheric Hazards to Flight
24. Configuration and Power Effects on Flight Stability

Bookmarks Menu