Lecture Slides for

Aircraft Flight Dynamics

Robert F. Stengel

Professor Emeritus, Princeton University

Aircraft Flight Dynamics is an undergraduate course that presents theory and methods for describing and predicting the motions of aircraft. The course introduces students to the performance, stability, and control of a wide range of airborne vehicles. Attention is given to mathematical models and techniques for analysis, simulation, and evaluation of flying qualities, with brief discussion of guidance, navigation, and control issues. Topics include equations of motion, configuration aerodynamics, analysis of linear systems, and longitudinal/lateral/directional motions. The slides used as lecture materials are presented here.

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Lecture Slides (pdf)

Key words: aircraft flight dynamics, flight mechanics, stability and control, flying qualities, handling qualities, configuration aerodynamics, short period, phugoid, Dutch roll, roll, spiral, aeronautical case histories, aircraft performance, longitudinal dynamics, lateral-directional dynamics, coupled motions, inertial coupling, high angle of attack, aeroelasticity, nonlinear equations of motion, flight simulation, flight vehicles, earth's atmosphere.
last updated January 24, 2022, stengel@princeton.edu.
Copyright 2022 by Robert F. Stengel. All rights reserved.