In flight mechanics, the Mean Aerodynamic Chord for the tail refers to the average chord length of the horizontal or vertical tail surfaces of an aircraft. It is a crucial parameter used to characterize the aerodynamic behavior and stability of the tail surfaces. The Cma is a representative measure that simplifies the complex distribution of lift and allows for effective analysis of the tail’s influence on the aircraft’s longitudinal or directional stability. The formula to calculate Mean Aerodynamic Chord as follows:
Where:
- Mt is the Pitching Moment due to Tail in Nm,
- V is the Aircraft Velocity in m/s,
- S is the Wing area in m2,
- Cmt is the Tail Pitching Moment Coefficient.