The change in pitch rate, often referred to as angular velocity around the lateral axis, is a measure of how fast an aircraft’s nose rotates around its side-to-side axis. This rotation corresponds to changes in the aircraft’s pitch attitude. In flight mechanics, pitch rate is an essential parameter that describes the aircraft’s response to control inputs and aerodynamic forces.
- is the change in pitch rate (angular velocity) around the lateral axis (radians per second, rad/s).
- is the coefficient of pitch damping.
- is the mean aerodynamic chord length (meters, m).
- is the equilibrium velocity (meters per second, m/s).
- is the dynamic pressure (pascals, Pa).
- is the reference area of the aircraft (square meters, m²).
- is the moment of inertia around the lateral axis (kilogram-square meters, kg·m²).