Flight at Supernormal Attitudes

In Supernormal Flight (SNF), the aircraft’s wing is either partially or completely stalled, while the longitudinal stabilizing and control surfaces are deflected to approximately the same magnitude, but of opposite sign, as the aircraft’s angle of attack so that they remain effective through large ranges (approaching 90°) of angles of attack, pitch, and flight path. Some potential advantages of SNF include: improved safety through prevention of spins; rapid recovery from undesirable stalls and spins; steep descents and approaches to landings; precise, steep, survivable recoveries of remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs); and enhanced maneuverability and agility. Free-flight, wind tunnel, and analytic results are presented on example aircraft models to illustrate and substantiate the proposed applications and advantages.