Effects of yaw-roll coupling ratio on lateral-directional aerodynamic characteristics

Experimental investigation of large amplitude yaw-roll coupled oscillations was conducted in a low-speed wind tunnel using an aircraft configuration model. A special test rig was designed and constructed to provide different coupled motions from low to high angles of attack. A parameter “coupling ratio” was introduced to indicate the extent of yaw-roll coupling. At each pitch angle, seven coupling ratios were designed to study the yaw-roll coupling effects on the lateral-directional aerodynamic characteristics systematically. At high angles of attack, the damping characteristics of yawing and rolling moments drastically varied with coupling ratios. In the coupled motions with the rotation taking place about the wind axis, the lateral-directional aerodynamic moments exhibited unsteady characteristics and were different from the “quasi-steady” results of the rotary balance tests. The calculated results of the traditional aerodynamic derivative method were also compared with the experimental data. At low and very high angles of attack, the aerodynamic derivative method was applicative. However, within a wide range of angles of attack, the calculated results of aerodynamic derivative method were inconsistent with the experimental data, due to the drastic changes of damping characteristics of lateral-directional aerodynamic moments with yaw-roll coupling ratios.