Simulation of Flight Dynamics with an Improved Post-Stall Aerodynamics Model

Abstract

A recently developed post-stall aerodynamics prediction method has been improved for use in real-time simulation of aircraft flight dynamics. The aerodynamic prediction method models the boundary layer separation due to stall using an effective decambering on each wing section. The aerodynamics of the configuration is rapidly calculated using superposition of stored lift distributions, which allows the the method to be used in real-time flight simulation even for post-stall conditions. For a given aircraft state vector, the method predicts forces and moments on the configuration. This aerodynamics method is coupled with flight-dynamics equations of motion (EOM) such that the complete aerodynamics is solved at each time step of the solution of the flight EOM. At the current stage, the approach does not handle the effects of bodies, propeller-wash, and wake interference. These are to be incorporated in follow-on work.