Automated Prediction of Light Aircraft Performance and Riding and Handling Qualities

The process leading to the development of efficient computer programs for predicting the performance and riding and handling qualities of light aircraft is described. The riding and handling qualities program permits one to specify only the aircraft geometry and to obtain as output the motion that geometry will produce in response to one of five specific control surface deflections. The performance programs fit both power available and drag data with high-order polynomials for accuracy. Conventional, static performance and integrations of the nonlinear equations of motion (so-called path performance) are then obtained. Present efforts are directed toward computerizing the prediction of lift and drag given the aircraft geometry, so that by specifying the geometry one can immediately determine both the performance and the riding and handling qualities.