101

5.4. STABILITY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BOEING 747

5.4
5.4.1

Stability Characteristics of the Boeing 747

Longitudinal Stability Characteristics

In this section we summarize the longitudinal mass distribution and aerodynamic stability characteristics of a large, jet transport aircraft, the Boeing 747, at selected flight conditions. Data are
summarized from the report by Heffley et al. [2]. Values for aerodynamic coefficients were scaled
directly from plots of these variables, except for the derivatives CLq and CL for which no data are
provided. These values were computed from the values of the corresponding dimensional stability
derivatives Zq and Zw , which are provided in tabular form, with the sign of Zw changed to correct
a seemingly obvious error.
Condition numbers correspond to those in the report; Conditions 5-10 are for a clean aircraft,
Condition 2 corresponds to a powered approach with gear up and 20 flaps. Angles of attack are
with respect to the fuselage reference line.
Condition
h (ft)
M
(degrees)
W (lbf)
2
Iy (slug-ft )
CL
CD
CL
CD
Cm
CL
Cm
CL q
Cm q
CL M
CDM
Cm M
CLe
Cme

2
SL
0.25
5.70
564,032.
32.3 106
1.11
0.102
5.70
0.66
-1.26
6.7
-3.2
5.40
-20.8
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.338
-1.34

5
20,000
0.500
6.80
636,636.
33.1 106
0.680
0.0393
4.67
0.366
-1.146
6.53
-3.35
5.13
-20.7
-.0875
0.0
0.121
0.356
-1.43

7
20,000
0.800
0.0
636,636.
33.1 106
0.266
0.0174
4.24
0.084
-.629
5.99
-5.40
5.01
-20.5
0.105
0.008
-.116
0.270
-1.06

9
40,000
0.800
4.60
636,636.
33.1 106
0.660
0.0415
4.92
0.425
-1.033
5.91
-6.41
6.00
-24.0
0.205
0.0275
0.166
0.367
-1.45

10
40,000
0.900
2.40
636,636.
33.1 106
0.521
0.0415
5.57
0.527
-1.613
5.53
-8.82
6.94
-25.1
-.278
0.242
-.114
0.300
-1.20

Table 5.3: Longitudinal mass properties and aerodynamic stability derivatives for the Boeing 747 at
selected flight conditions.

102

5.4.2

CHAPTER 5. DYNAMIC STABILITY

Lateral/Directional Stability Characteristics

In this section we summarize the lateral/directional mass distribution and aerodynamic stability
characteristics of a large, jet transport aircraft, the Boeing 747, at selected flight conditions. Data
are summarized from the report by Heffley et al. [2]. Values for aerodynamic coefficients were scaled
directly from plots of these variables.
Condition numbers correspond to those in the report; Conditions 5-10 are for a clean aircraft,
Condition 2 corresponds to a powered approach with gear up and 20 flaps. Moments and products
of inertia are with respect to stability axes for the given flight condition. Angles of attack are with
respect to the fuselage reference line.
Condition
h (ft)
M
(degrees)
W (lbf)
2
Ix (slug-ft )
2
Iz (slug-ft )
2
Ixz (slug-ft )
Cy
Cl
Cn
Cl p
Cnp
Cl r
Cnr
Cla
Cna
Cyr
Clr
Cnr

2
SL
0.25
5.70
564,032.
14.3 106
45.3 106
2.23 106
-.96
-.221
0.150
-.45
-.121
0.101
-.30
0.0461
0.0064
0.175
0.007
-.109

5
20,000
0.500
6.80
636,636.
18.4 106
49.5 106
2.76 106
-.90
-.193
0.147
-.323
-.0687
0.212
-.278
0.0129
0.0015
0.1448
0.0039
-.1081

7
20,000
0.800
0.0
636,636.
18.2 106
49.7 106
0.97 106
-.81
-.164
0.179
-.315
0.0028
0.0979
-.265
0.0120
0.0008
0.0841
0.0090
-.0988

9
40,000
0.800
4.60
636,636.
18.2 106
49.7 106
1.56 106
-.88
-.277
0.195
-.334
-.0415
0.300
-.327
0.0137
0.0002
0.1157
0.0070
-.1256

10
40,000
0.900
2.40
636,636.
18.2 106
49.7 106
.35 106
-.92
-.095
0.207
-.296
0.0230
0.193
-.333
0.0139
-.0027
0.0620
0.0052
-.0914

Table 5.4: Lateral/Directional mass properties and aerodynamic stability derivatives for the Boeing
747 at selected flight conditions.