2. Flight Mechanics

Stability Concepts — Quiz

Test your understanding of stability concepts with 5 practice questions.

Practice Questions

Question 1

For positive static longitudinal stability, the slope of the pitching moment coefficient versus angle of attack ($C_{m\alpha}$) must be:

Question 2

Which dynamic mode is characterized by a pure exponential decay of yaw rate with negligible roll coupling?

Question 3

A short-period mode has natural frequency $\omega_n=2\,\mathrm{rad/s}$ and damping ratio $\zeta=0.25$. What is the approximate time for the oscillation amplitude to decay to $1/e$ of its initial value?

Question 4

If the center of gravity is at 32% of the mean aerodynamic chord (MAC) and the neutral point is at 28% MAC, the configuration is:

Question 5

Increasing the vertical tail area of an aircraft most directly affects which stability derivative?