Effect of lift-to-drag ratio upon pilot rating for a preliminary version of the HL-20 lifting bodyA man-in-the-loop simulation study of the handling qualities of the HL-20 lifting body vehicle has been performed in a fixed-base simulation cockpit. The study was aimed at identifying opportunities to improve the original design of the vehicle from a handling qualities and landing performance perspective. A subsonic aerodynamic model of the HL-20 was used as a baseline, and visual approaches and landings were made at various vehicle lift-to-drag (L/D) ratios. It is concluded that there is a high degree of correlation between maximum L/D ratio and pilot rating. Using the pilot ratings Level 1, flying qualities were found to be possible for configurations with a maximum L/D ratio of 3.8 or higher.
Document ID
19910062565
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Jackson, E. B. (NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Rivers, Robert A. (NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Bailey, Melvin L. (Lockheed Engineering and Sciences Co. Hampton, VA, United States)