A Flight Investigation to Increase the Safety of a Light Airplane
Abstract
During 1940 and 1941 a series of modifications was incorporated in a typical light airplane to increase its safety. The modifications included: decreasing the wing incidence, increasing the wing washout, increasing the area and aspect ratio of horizontal and vertical tails, moving the elevators out of the propeller slipstream, depressing the thrust axis, and limiting the rudder travel. These modifications were considered ones which could reasonably be made to existing airplanes without basically modifying their external appearance. The modified airplane possessed the following inherent safety characteristics: (1) motions accompanying the stall were greatly reduced (2) no motions that did not result from the pilot's action occurred in turns with the elevator held full up, and (3) the airplane was spinproof. The general flying characteristics of the airplane were not materially altered in normal flight. The maximum speed in level flight and the rate of climb were slightly reduced.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1947
- Accession Number
- ADA800843
Entities
People
- J. R. Vensel
- P. A. Hunter
Organizations
- Langley Research Center