Maneuverability Investigation of the F6C-3 Airplane with Special Flight Instruments

Abstract

This investigation was made for the purpose of obtaining information on the maneuverability of the F6C-3 airplane. It is the first of a series of similar investigations to be conducted on a number of military airplanes for the purpose of comparing 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 maneuverability of any airplane. A large part of this initial investigation was necessarily devoted to the development and trial of methods suitable for use in subsequent investigations of this nature. Air speed, angular velocity, linear acceleration, and position of the control surfaces were measured by instruments in the airplane during loops, push-downs, pull-outs from dives, pull-ups from level flight, barrel rolls, and spins. The coordinates of flight paths were deduced from the data whenever possible, and were checked in some cases by the use of a camera obscura. The results are given in curves showing the variation of the measured quantities with respect to time, and maximum values are tabulated