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High Speed Aircraft Flying Limitations and Handling Problems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2016

Extract

A consideration of the factors suggesting that new types of flying instruments are becoming necessary.

To safeguard the aircraft and crew against the danger of excessive speed and normal acceleration loads, until recently it was considered sufficient to provide for the pilot an airspeed indicator and to fix in the aircraft a plate giving the maximum safe speeds permitted for diving, without and with external stores, flaps and undercarriage down and so on. In the case of Service aircraft these limitations are usually published in Pilot's Notes for the type. Based on design data these speeds are those at which, allowing suitable factors of safety, the stresses in the appropriate parts of the aircraft's structure are calculated to reach the maximum safe limits.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1947

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References

Note on page 734 * In this connection, with an eye to the future, it is of interest that there is reason to expect a recovery of temperature in the stratosphere such that sea level temperatures, and so the same true speed of sound, are again reached at about 160,000 ft.

Note on page 735 * The reduction in critical Mach number per g depends upon the wing section and so on, but data available for a well-designed wing suggests that it will be between .005 and .01 M per g. Airframe distortions effects, however, may further increase the reduction in M per g.

Note on page 736 * In this connection it is of interest to note that on certain aircraft some manœuvres cannot be performed above certain heights, since the minimum safe speed for them is then above that corresponding to the critical Mach number. Further, certain manœuvres cannot be begun below an altitude such as will allow an ample margin of height for recovery. The higher the speed at which such manœuvres are performed, the greater the potential loss of height during, and in recovery from, the manœuvre.

Note on page 736 * An American aircraft project is stated to be stressed for 18g. Allowing a factor of, say, 1½ this will permit manœuvres imposing up to 12g and will necessitate the pilot wearing an anti-g suit. This aircraft is expected to exceed the speed of sound by a considerable margin; restriction of g at high speeds is contemplated and an accelerometer will be essential.