Aerodynamic Modeling for Poststall Flight Simulation of a Transport Airplane

Abstract

The principles of aerodynamic modeling in the extended flight envelope, which is characterized by the development of separated flow, are outlined and illustrated for a generic transport airplane. The importance of different test techniques for generating wind-tunnel data and the procedure for blending the obtained experimental data for aerodynamic modeling are discussed. Complementary use of computational fluid dynamics simulations reveals a substantial effect of the Reynolds number on the intensity of aerodynamic autorotation, which is later reflected in the aerodynamic model. Validation criteria for an extended envelope aerodynamic model are discussed, and the important role of professional test pilots with poststall flying experience in tuning aerodynamic model parameters is emphasized. The paper presents an approach to aerodynamic modeling that was implemented in the project titled “Simulation of Upset Recovery in Aviation” (2009–2012), funded by the European Union under the Seventh Framework Programme. The developed poststall aerodynamic model of a generic airliner configuration for a wide range of angles of attack, sideslip, and angular rate was successfully validated by a number of professional test pilots on hexapod- and centrifuge-based flight simulator platforms.