M ECH AN IKA

TEORETYCZNA
I STOSOWANA
1/ 2, 25, 1987

LATERAL STABILITY OF THE CANARD CONFIGURATION

TOMASZG OETZEN D ORF- G RABOWSKI

ZDOBYSAW G ORAJ

WarsawUniversity ofTechnology

1. Introduction

The Wright Brothers' aircraft was the biplane Canard. In the next years that confi-
guration has been supplanted by conventional one.H owever, starting from theearly part
ofthethird decadenew designs in the Canardconfiguration have arised. Advantages and
disadvantages of th at configuration have been compared and described in bibliography
in respect of the performance [1, 2]but have n ot been published in respect of static and
dynamic stability. One of few works in this field has been the analysis of an influence of
the lateral flow to the dynamic stability, which has been performed by R. Panasiuk [3].
F rom this analysis it has followed that the lateral flow improves the stability of the
phugoid and spiral modes.
In this paper dynamic equations of the small, lateral vibrations for the Canard confi-
guration have been derived and rewritten in the dimensionless form. An influence of the
somedesign parameters to thelateral stability has been studied. D ynamiceffects resulting
from a change of the low- wing configuration by a high- wing one as well as from anin-
crease of thedihedral angle and of thefin andrudder aeraandfrom achange of themass
balance have been analysed in detail.

A- tASCA

Fig. 1. System of coordinates

48 T. GOETZENDORFGRABOWSKI, Z. GORAJ

2. Notations

A point denoting onefourth of a mean aerodynamic chord (MAC)

Axyz stability axis system: x axis isdirected towards the nose of fuse
lage, parallel to the undisturbed flow, z axis is directed down
wards perpendicularly to the x axis and liesin the plane ofsym
metry, y axis is directed on the right wing, perpendicularly to
the Axz plane (referred also as AxAyAz^)
Ax3y3z3 body axis system, obtained from Axyz by the rotation a about
the axis Ay
Axsyszs flow axis system, obtained from Axyz by rotation pF about the
axis Az
b wing span
stiffness matrix of the antisymmetrical model (in dimensionless
form)
dimensionless, modified, stiffness matrix of the antisymmetrical
model
stiffness matrix of the integral model
lift coefficient >
g acceleration due to gravity
moments of inertia about either stability axis system Axyz or
body axis system Ax3y3z3
products of inertia about either stability axis system Axyz or
body axis systen Ax3y3z3
JxiJzr.lxx dimensionless moments and product of inertia, respectively
**X>"Zi "XZ
LV,LP> Lr aerodynamic derivatives of the rolling moment with respect to
velocity of sideslip, rolling and yawing, respectively (either in
stability axis system or body axis system)
dimensionless aerodynamic derivatives, respectively Lv,Lp,Lr
m mass of the aircraft
mass matrix of the antisymmetrical model
"W dimensionless, modified mass matrix of the antisymmetrical
model
M8 mass matrix of the integral model
Nv,Np,Nr aerodynamic derivatives of yawing moment with respect to
velocity of sideslip, rolling and yawing, respectively (either in
stability axis system Axyz, or in body axis system Ax3y3z3)
n0, np, nr dimensionless aerodynamic derivatives, respectively Nv,Np,Nr
components of a disturbance of the angular velocity either in
stability axissystemAxyz or in body axissystem Ax3y3z3
P,Q,R components ofthe angular velocity either in stability axissystem
Axyz orinbodyaxissystem Ax3y3z3
s wing aera
 STABILITY OFTHE CANARD CONFIGURATION 49

.t t ~j real, aerodynamic anddimensionless time, respectively

71 period ofan oscillation
Ti/2 (T2) time tohalf (to double) amplitude ofan oscillation
u,v,w components of a disturbance ofthevelocity either in stability
axis system Axyz orinbody axis system Ax3y3z3
U,V,W(U0,Vo, Wo) coordinates ofthevelocity VA(anditsundisturbed components)
eitherinstabilityaxissystemAxyz orinbodyaxissystemAx3y3 z 3
UO,VQ,WO dimensionless, undisturbed components of velocity VA either
in stability axis systemAxyz orin body axissystem Ax3y3z3
VA total velocity ofthepoint A
x,y, z coordinates ofthemass centre in socalled design axis system.
These coordinatesareconnected eitherwith stability axissystem
(i =4)orwith body axis system (1= 3)byrelations x =Xu
y = yt, z = zi
x8, xa4.,(xaA) small disturbance vectorforintegral andantisymmetrical model
(in dimensionless form), respectively
xa, za dimensionless coordinates ofthemasscentre,respectivelyx andz
YO,YP, Yr aerodynamic derivatives oflateral force with respect tovelocity
of sideslip, rolling and yawing, respectively (either in stability
axis system or in body axis system)
yv,yP,yr dimensionless aerodynamic derivatives, respectively Yv,Yp,Yr
a angle of attack
PF> PW> fis angle of lateral flow, wind andsideslip, respectively
r\ angular frequency
o flightpath angle
& small disturbance ofthepich orflightpath angle
(ia dimensionless mass of the aircraft
I damping coefficient
Q a i r density
0O b a n k angle
q> small disturbance of the bank angle

3. Mathematical Model for Lateral Stability

The mathematical model, which has been used in computations, hasincluded the
mass, aerodynamic and stiffness couplings [4,5]and will be referred as the integral
model". The linearized equations ofmotion have been written inmatrix form [5]asfol
lows:
M8x8 B8x8, (1)
where
{x8} = {u,v, w,p,q,r,&,<p}J (2)
is a small disturbance vector.

4 Mech. Teorct. i Stos. 12/87

50 T. GOBTZENDORF-GRABOWSKI, Z. GORAJ

Coefficients ofthemassmatrix M9 and ofthestiffness matrix Ba areplaced in Appendix.

Physical model employed in analysis of the lateral stability has been derived from the
integral model under the following assumptions:
1) steadystate trajectory can be the gliding as well as the climbing one, i.e.: 6>0 0.
There can exist a sideslip: /9S= 0, a crosswind: /V ^ 0 and a lateral flow: ftr # 0
(where 0 S = fo+jS,,)
2) there exist only antisymmetrical disturbances from steadystate flight parameters. The
small disturbance vector JC,4 [4]has the following coordinates: v,p,r,<p. The symme
trical coordinates of the xB vector are equal to zero.
The antisymmetrical model can be written as follows:
Ma4*a4 = BaAXa4., (3)
wherematricesMalrand Bui can bedirectly derivedfrom matricesMB and B&respectively,
neglecting the uneven columns and rows. Matrices A/a4 and 4, have theform:

m mz - mx U
mz Jx - / 0
a* 0 (4)
mx Jfz h
0 0 0 1,

Y. Y, + mW 0 Y r- mUo mgcos0ocos< >

o

U U +m(zW 0 - yV0) L r- mzU0 W Z C OS@O C OS0 O

mgycos&0 sin&0 (5)
No mxW 0 N,+m(xU0- yV0) mgxcos0ocos0o
0 1 tan(9ncos# n 0
Moments and productsof inertia, aerodynamicderivatives an dcoordinatesof themass
centre occuringin matricesAfo4, Ba canbe relatedeitherto thebody axis system orto
the stability axis system.Vectorialequation(3)expandedinthebodyaxis system arenot
convenient to use in computations becausein this case aerodynamicderivatives,usually
knowninthestabilityaxis systemAxyz (orintheflow axis systemAxsyszs (F ig.2)if
theflow angleis notequalto zero)mustbe convertedtothebody axis system [5]. The
same equationexpandedinthestability axis system (or intheflow axis system)ismore
conventional becauseinsuchcasewemusttransformonlythreecomponents oftheinertia
pseudo- tensor andtwo components of themass centreinsteadof thenine components of
aerodynamicderivativesandtwovelocities (ifweusethebodyaxissystem).
N umerical calculationshave been performed onthe basis of equationsof motion in
dimensionless form:
dxa4
(6)

where
/ = t/ ta is dimensionless time, while

m (7)
is aerodynamictime.
 STABILITY or THECANARD CONFIGURATION

Fig. 2. Plan view of theaircraft showing themost important design parameters

One derived the following param eters:

dimensionless mass

m (8)
*' = O.SgSb'
dimensionless coordinates of the mass centre
xa = xjb, za = zjb, (9)
dimensionless moments an d products of inertia

Jx Jz = Jxz = (10)
mb2 > mb2' mb2
dimensionless velocities
Wo
o = (11)
'. A ' j l K
/

One should emphasizeth atinthestability axis system u0 = 1,v0 = w0 = 0,while inthe

flow axis system we have
w0 = cos/ V, v0 = sin/ V, vv0 = 0. (12)
Equation (6)has been transformed to modified form dividing its scalar componentsby
a such coefficients in order to get theunits at themaindiagonal of themass matrix.So,
putting the small disturbance vector in the form

v pb rb
(13)

and assuming th at
52 T . G OE TZ E N D OR F - G R ABOWSKI , Z . G Q R AJ

1) steady- state flight is horizontal, i.e.: 0O = 0,

2) steady- state bank angle is equal to zero, i.e. 0O = 0,
3) theangles of sideslip, flow and wind are equal t o zero,we can rewrite theequation
of motion in the form
(14)
where
1 I , - x a 0
5a/ A 1 - Jxzljx 0
(15)
- XalJz ~jxzljz 1 0
0 0 0 1

Ujx
(16)
njjz njjz (nr+fiaxa)/ jz - cL xa/ jt
.0 / ia 0 0
and symbol v indicates differentiating with respecttothedimensionless time.
A particular solution of the equation (14) has the form

e xi Tt
Vofr (17)
r
I ' A 'A A
Substitution of (17) into (14) gives thefollowing characteristic equation

det{m a 4> z A6 fl4> 1 } = 0, (18)

which can be rewritten as

X+ a I
f2 =0, (19)
det
h2Xx
0 - ft. OX
where
x = */ / y = - Iv/ jx, a = ~yD, bi = za, ct = - yp,
e
dl = ^fli l = - yr + f*a> fx - CL, ^ = Za/ jxi
h2 = xljz, b2 \ , c2 = lpljx, d2 = ixzlixi
2l = (- lr +f*aZu)/ jx, f2 = - CL xjj, b3 = - jxz/ jz,
C = n = e = n i x
3 ~ pljz> "3 1 3 ~\ r~f tt a)ljzj J3 ~ c
Lxa!]z-

D evelopment of (19) gives characteristic equation of order 4:

==
i i / , ~t~xJA "T 'V'A ~r*u A~rxi v./. v*^^/

The coefficients of this equation can be represented as functions of x andy by the follo-
wing means:
A=A0, B=B0~yBy- xB2, C- C o - ,
(21)
2)= D0- yDi- xD2, E= E^- yE x- xE 2,
 STABILITY O F TH E CAN ARD CON FIG U RATION 53

where
0 , B o=arl+r2- h1rs+h2r8, Bl- r,
Co= difi- difa+ h
C2 - rs, Do = e3
Dx - r6~{djz- dzfx)iia, D2= rg- id^- d^)^, E o= - a(e2f3- e3f2)pa,

and
rx = b2d3- b3d2, r2 c2d3- c3d2 +b2e3- b3e2, r3 = c2e3- c3e2,
r 4 = b1d3- b3dl, rs = c1d3- c3dl +b1e3- b3e1, r6= Cifla- c3V
r- ,=b1d2- b2d1, ra = cxd2- c2dx+ble2- b2el, r9 = cxe2- c2eu
while x= / / z and j = - / / A-
Characteristic equation inthe form (20) has4roots, which correspond tothe so- called
stiff natural m odes". These modes areasfollows: '
D uch Roll an oscillatory mode possessing twopredominant coordinates:the
sideslip with a velocity v an dtherolling with anangular velocityp.
The phase- angle between these coordinates is approximately equal
to 180,
Spiral a nunoscillatory mode possessing twopredominant coordinates: the
sideslip with avelocity v an dtheyawing with anangular velocity r,
which isinphase with the sideslip,
Rolling an unoscillatory mode which has the onepredominantcoordinate,i.e.:
the rolling with anangular velocity p,

4. S hort Characteristic ofanAircraft Employed for Computing

The most important dataare:

main wing span b= 7.0 m
front wing span bH = 3.6 m
body length lB= 4.5 m
main wing aera S=5.6 m 2
front wing aera S H = 1.28 m 2
mass m= 470kg
lift- curve slope formain wing C a= 4.411/ rad
lift- curve slope forfront wing C{= 5.29 1/ rad
The essential differences between Canard and conventional configuration, importantfor
aircraft dynamics, areth e following:
location ofatail ahead ofthe wing and asaconsequence decreasing ofthe effective
angleofattackonthemainwingcausedbythemeandownwash angle,
locationofamass centrefar ahead ofthemainwing, usually about 100ormorepercent
M AC ahead ofthe one fourth ofM AC. F or conventional configuration the mass
centreisusually situated atnerby neighbourhood ofthe onefouth ofM AC.Location
54 T. GOETZENDORF- GRABOWSKI, Z. G ORAJ

ofthemasscentrefar aheadofthewingfor Canardconfiguration iscaused by necessity

to ensure the static longitudinal tability.
As a result of the numerical computations one could get the following characteristics:
angular frequency r\ and dampingcoefficient I ,eithertimeto half r 1 / 2 or timet o double
T 2, period Tand boundaries of the stability, all for thenatural modes defined before.
The following parameters were changing:
1) fin aridrudder aera S v from 0.3 m 2 to0.7 m 2 with thesteep 0.1 m1,
2) mainwingdihedral angle G from - 5 to 5 with thesteep 2.5,
3) location of the mass centre along the x axis in the body axis system, with respect to
the one fourth of M AC :

133
5 , - 4 r - {- . 12 1, - . 12 7 , - - >"
A variation ofthemass centrelocationwas achieved by shifting forwards of a mass equal
to20 kg with thesteep 1m (itcanbeabaggage,accumulator,radio stationetc.)
4) location ofthemass centrealongthez axisinthebody axissystem, with respect tothe
onefourth of M AC.Therehasbeenrealized 28values of z a withthesteepAz = 2.5cm
(or a = 0.0036).I nreality thistranslocationcanbeachieved assuming thatthe mass
distribution of the body is invariable but that wing- body arrangement is changeable,
i.e.: thatlow- wingconfiguration canbe replaced by the other one,for example by the
high- wing configuration.

5. Numerical Results

At Fig.3,4is shown timetodoubleamplitudeofthespiralmodeT 2 versus thedihedral

angle G and thefin and rudder aera S u for two different values i 0 . A decrease of Sas
well as anincrease of G increases T 2. ComparingF ig. 3with F ig. 4we cannotice a slight

- 5.0-
0.8

Fig.3.Timestodoubleamplitude7^oftheSpiralmodeasfunctions ofS,andGforlow- wingconfiguration

( r.= 0.0159)
 STABILITY OF THE CANARD CONFIGURATION 55

-5.0-

Fig.4.Timestodouble amplitude T2 oftheSpiralmodeasfunctionsofSv and Gfor lowwing configura

tion (z,= 0.0279)

increaseof T2 asi a decreases.ThisdependenceisshownmoredetailatFig.5,6,from which

wecan read thenecessary changes of Sv and Gcaused byvariation ofza tokeepthesame
T2 (T2 isequalto 30sand 15sat Fig.5and Fig.6,respectively).Computations showthat
the influence of the 3ca (in the neighbourhood of xa = .127) on the lateral dynamic
stability is negligible.

1 1 " 1 1
5.0 - r

1 Ul1
/ , ' ' "

2d=0.0351
0.0141
2.5 11
///I
0.00857 . _ . _ .
0.01590
1

i i 1 I 1

2.5 1 1 1 l
0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
Svlm 2)

Fig.5. Timeto double amplitude T2 ofthe Spiral mode (equal to 30s)asthefunction of Sv, Gand z.

Fig. 79 show the times to half amplitudeTlf2 of the Duch Roll mode as functions
of Gand Sv for three different values ofza. An increase of Sv aswellasadecrease either
of Gor of za decreases T 1/2 . An influence of Sv and Gto the value T1/2 decreases with
decreasing of z 8 . In the case when za isnegative T1/2 increases asthe Gdecreases.
Regulations FAR23 [6] and work [4] give the definition of a boundary quotient
/J7for theDuch Roll mode.This quotient must begreater or equalto 0.05.Fig. 1012
showthe value C/rj as a function of Gand Sv for three different values of za.When Sv
56 T, GOETZENPORFGRABOWSKI, Z. GORAJ

I i 1 I I
5.0 -
/
/ / / / "
/
/ / / /
/ / / / /
2.5 - / / / / /

/W
i
/
///// ,
/ / / /

2.5 '/// ^=0.0351

W 0.0H1
'' 0.00857
0.01590
5.0 _ //ty
1 i i i i
0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7

Fig. 6.Timeto double amplitude T2 of theSpiral mode (equal to 15s) asthefunction of So, Gand5,

Fig. 7. Time to half amplitude Tm of the Duch Roll mode as the function of Sv for different values
of Gin case of the lowwing (z, = 0.0459)

increasesorGdecreasesthenthequotient f/jy eitherincreases ifza ispositiveordecreases

ifza isnegative.Aninfluence ofSBand Gonthequotient ij/rj isverystrong diminished
in the case of negative values of za.
Fig. 13shows an influence of xa to the value T1/2 for the Duch Roll mode. Shifting
to the mass centre forwards increases T 1/2 . An influence of xa to the quotient $jrjis
shown at Fig. 14.
 0.8

Fig. 8. Time to half amplitude Tl/Z of the Duch Roll mode as the function of Sfor different
values of G in case of the lowwing (za= 0.0279)

0.5-

0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8

Fig. 9. Timeto half amplitude Til2of the Duch Roll mode as the function of Sfor different values
of Gin case of the midwing (?= 0.00857)

0.3

Fig, 10,Quotient as the function of S, and Gin case of the lowwing(z. = 0.0459)andadmi
ssible, boundary quotient (Slrj),,

[57]
 0.20

Fig. 11.Quotient as the function of Sv and Gincase of the lowwing (za = 0.0279) andadmis
sible, boundary quotient (.~h)tr

Fig. 12.Quotient as the function of S, and Gincaseof themidwing (z,= 0.00857) and admis
sible, boundary quotient (/>?)

Fig. 13.Timetohalf amplitude T1/2 of the Duch Roll mode asfunction ofS,and x, for G= 0"and
I , 0.028

(581
 STABILITY OF TH E CAN ARD CON F IG U RATION 59

0.3 0A 0.5 0.6

Fig. 14. Quotient as the function of S v andxa (andadmissible, boundary quotient

for G=T and1.= 0.028

6. Concluding Remarks

N umerical results have shown that the most important parameters for the lateral,
dynamicstability of C anardconfiguration are: (1)vertical position of themainwingwith
respect to the body, (2) dihedral angle and (3)fin and rudder aera. An increase of the
dihedralangle,adecreaseofthefin andrudderaeraaswellasa shifting ofthewingupwards
prolong the times to double of the Spiral modewhat is advantageous with point ofview
of the stability. Either a decrease of the dihedral angle when the fin and rudder aera is
constant or an increase of the fin and rudder aera when the dihedral angle is constant
can be compenseted by shifting of the main wing towards high- wing configuration.
The D uch Roll mode damping increases with an increase of thefin and rudder aera
as well as with a decrease of the dihedral angle. A shifting of the mass centre forwards,
improving the longitudinal static stability, deteriorates slightly the stability of the Duch
Roll mode increasing the time to half amplitude of an oscillation.

7. Appendix

m 0 y 0 mz - my 0 0
Ay,
0 m Y- mz 0 mx 0 0
0 0 mZ^ my mx 0 0 0
0 mz ~L- v+my Jx - J y ~JXz 0 0 X

mz 0 ~M +mx T Jy Jyz 0 0
^^ xy
my mx - W, - Jxt Jyz J, 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
60 T. GOETZENDORFGRABOWSKI, Z. GORAJ

o o o
ai M o o .5 o
O O <J O <
o
o
ft ^
o o
o .a o o
H
I I I O O

I I I I I I + o o

5 g
+ I
S
I
i .a
T

+ +
I o
CA
O
U

S B 5
+ i +
i I
o rt

4 o o

N o o

o o
 STABILITY OFTHECANARD CONFIGURATION 61

whereXU,XV, ...,N q,N r denote dimensional derivatives inaccordance with thefollowing

definition (cited by way of example for theN p derivative):

* * .S,VASP.

m
References

1. J. STASZEK, Kaczkaasamolotkonwencjonalny, TLiA, 10,Wydawnictwo Czasopism iksi ke Technicz-

nych SIG MA, Warszawa 1974.
2. J. STASZEK,Niektreproblemyuk adukaczka,TLiA, 7,Wydawnictwo Czasopism iKsi ke Technolicz-
nych SIG MA,Warszawa 1980, pp. 813.
3. R. PANASIUK,DynamieStability of CanardConfigurationIncludingLateralFlow, M.Sc.Thesis(Unpu-
blished), Warsaw University of Technology, Warszawa 1985.
4. Z.GORAJ,Obliczeniasterowno ci,rwnowagiistateczno cisamolotu wzakresiepodd wi kowym, Preskrypt
published by Zak ady G raficzne Politechniki Warszawskiej, Warszawa 1984.
5. Z. GORAJ, Numeryczne i organizacyjne aspekty obliczestateczno cisamolotu, Mech.Teor. Stos. 4,
PWN, Warszawa 1985.
6. FAR- 23, Vol. H I, part 23. Federal Aviation Administration, Washington 1965 (with Amendments
of 23.10.1972)

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St reszczen ie

STATECZNO BOCZNA SAMOLOTU W UKADZIE KACZKA

Przedstawiono model matematyczny maychdrga bocznych samolotuwuk adziekaczka.Rwnania

ruchu zapisano w opywowym uk adziewsprz dnych zwi zanym z 1/4 redniej ci ciwy aerodynamicznej
idoprowadzonodopostaci bezwymiarowej. Przeanalizowanowarto ci wasneipostacie drga sztywnych
samolotu. Przedstawiono algorytm na obliczanie granic stateczno ci spiralnej i stateczno ci holendro-
wania. Omwiono zasadnicze r nice przy badaniu stateczno ci uk adu klasycznego i uk adu kaczka.
Zbadano wpyw r nych konfiguracji geometrycznych samolotu na stateczno .

Praca wp yn ado Redakcji dnia 18marca1986roku.