Angle-of-Attack Estimation for General Aviation Aircraft

Abstract

The angle of attack is one of the most important flight parameters. In the framework of the present study, a flight data recording method was designed to analyze the Valasek angle-of-attack estimation method and investigate its applicability for general aviation aircraft. This was performed using two devices characterized by substantially different characteristics. The test flight, and the ground test, i.e., a flight simulator experiment, were conducted. Two flight regimes were analyzed: (a) steady climb and descent with low values of angle of attack, (b) approach to stall with idle power with an increase of the angle of attack to the critical value. A satisfactory angle of attack estimate was obtained for the steady climb and descent regime, while the approach to stall estimate was less accurate but still indicative and considered useful for the pilot. The results indicate that less expensive synthetic sensors may provide acceptable results compared to high-quality certified equipment. A proposed modification of the estimation method enables simplification of the required equipment, while offering important information to the pilot.