Handbook

This course is looked upon as an integrating course to bring in the concepts of statics and dynamics as applied to aircraft under the influence of aerodynamic forces and moments.  The initial part of the course deals with the basics associated with vibration and control of dynamic systems including the concepts of natural frequency, damping ratio, transfer functions, specifications and their relationship to natural frequency and damping ratios.  This part also introduces the basic control systems and their analysis using the root locus technique.  The main part of the course deals with the dynamics of the aircraft under the influence of aerodynamic forces and moments. The mathematical modelling of the aircraft, its transfer functions and aerodynamic stability derivatives are discussed.  The simplified analysis using short period and phugoid motions for longitudinal dynamics is discussed.  This is used to relate the longitudinal dynamics to the spring-mass-damper system from the vibrations part .  The natural frequency and damping ratio are correlated with the design of the aircraft and the aerodynamic properties.   Stability augmentation and autopilots along with Handling Qualities of the aircraft as specifications for control design is discussed next.   The lateral dynamics, in particular to the Dutch roll motion and its damping, are discussed.  The effects of gust and practical implementation of control systems in aircraft is also  introduced.