Effect of a counterweight on the Cm-AOA graph for longitudinal stability

  • Thread starter Leo Liu
  • Start date
  • #1
Leo Liu
353
149
I am trying to determine how the addition of a counterweight affects the ##C_m-\alpha## (in longitudinal direction) graph for a model plane project, where the counterweight can be considered as the battery.

Screenshot 2022-11-28 at 11.18.08 PM.png

Screenshot 2022-11-28 at 11.27.45 PM.png

Suppose we try to place the battery at the back of the current CoM. The new CoM will be at further back, reducing ##l_t## and increasing ##hc##. According to Anderson't Intro to Flight, the equation is as follows:
this will decrease the slope of the ##C_m-\alpha## curve:

Screenshot 2022-11-28 at 11.22.45 PM.png

Now I am wondering if it will have a significant impact on the slope; ##h## is larger, while ##V_H## is smaller. Yet I am not sure which change is more significant to the moment slope.

From the equation (7.24) we can see that at $L_{wing}=0$, ##V_H## will become smaller due to a smaller ##l_t##, increasing the value of ##C_{m\,(L=0)}##:
Screenshot 2022-11-28 at 11.18.48 PM.png

where
Screenshot 2022-11-28 at 11.31.49 PM.png
.

I think the graph of the line will look like either one of the added lines. The blue one will result in a lower equilibrium angle, thus providing a lower ##C_L##; yet the red line will allow a higher flight angle, thus producing more lift.
Screenshot 2022-11-28 at 11.39.36 PM.png

Could someone please give a bit more insight into this and tell me if my reasoning is correct?
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot 2022-11-28 at 11.23.27 PM.png
    Screenshot 2022-11-28 at 11.23.27 PM.png
    14.3 KB · Views: 18
Last edited:

Answers and Replies

Suggested for: Effect of a counterweight on the Cm-AOA graph for longitudinal stability

Replies
1
Views
891
Replies
1
Views
765
  • Last Post
Replies
3
Views
1K
Replies
2
Views
323
Replies
24
Views
1K
Replies
3
Views
96
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • Last Post
Replies
15
Views
2K
Top