• Version
• 153 Downloads
• 1.32 MB File Size
• 1 File Count
• August 25, 2016 Create Date
• August 25, 2016 Last Updated

National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, Report - Maneuverability Investigation of the F6C-3 Airplane with Special Flight Instruments

This inrestigation was made for the purpose of ob-
taining information on the maneuverability of the
F60—3 fighter airplane. 17»: tests were conducted by
the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics at
Langley Field, Va., at the request of the Bureau of
Aeronautics, Naoy Department. It is the first in a series
of similar investigations to be conducted on a number
of military airplanes for the purpose of comparing the
ever, were not sufficiently comprehensive for the
abilities of these airplanes to maneuver, and also to
establish a fund of quantitative data which may be
used in formulating standards of comparison for rating
the maneurerability of any airplane. A large part of
this initial inrestigation was necessarily devoted to the
derelopment and trial of methods suitable for use in
subsequent inrestigations of this nature.

Air speed, angular velocity, linear acceleration, and
position of the control surfaces were measured by in-
struments in the airplane during loops, push-downs,
pull-outs from dices, pull-ups from level flight, barrel
rolls, and spins. The coordinates of the flight paths
were deduced from the data whenever possible, and
were checked in some cases by the use of a camera 06-
scura. The results are giren in curves showing the
Irariation of the measured quantities with respect to
time, and maximum ralues are tabulated.

At the time that this work was started, the rating
of an airplane with regard to its ability to maneuver
was based largely upon individual opinions rather
than upon definitely established accomplishments.
Not only was there a lack of quantitative data which
could be used in comparing the maneuverability of
difi‘erent airplanes, but there was also considerable
uncertainty as to which quantifies best express ma-
neuverability. It was desirable, therefore, that a
method be developed by means of which a. compre-
hensive investigation of the various phases of the
maneuverability of a number of airplanes could be
made.