Rolling Moment (Mw or Lp): The rolling moment is the moment or torque that tends to roll the aircraft about its longitudinal axis. It is a result of aerodynamic forces acting on the aircraft’s wings when the roll rate (p) changes. The rolling moment can cause the aircraft to start rolling or, if it’s already rolling, it can accelerate or decelerate the roll rate.
- Mw: This represents the rolling moment due to the rate of roll. It quantifies the rotational force around the aircraft’s longitudinal axis resulting from changes in the roll rate (p).
- Cmα: This is the aerodynamic coefficient related to the change in pitching moment (M) with respect to the angle of attack (α). It quantifies how the aircraft’s pitching moment changes as the angle of attack changes.
- Q: This term represents the dynamic pressure of the air. It is given by Q = 0.5 * ρ * V^2, where ρ is the air density and V is the true airspeed of the aircraft. Dynamic pressure is a measure of the kinetic energy of the air due to the aircraft’s motion through it.
- S: Typically, this represents the reference wing area, which is the wing’s planform area. It’s used to determine the wing’s aerodynamic properties and is typically measured in square meters (m²).
- c: This usually represents the mean aerodynamic chord of the wing, which is an average chord length used in aerodynamic calculations. It is measured in meters (m)
- u0: This could represent the longitudinal velocity of the aircraft, often referred to as the “true airspeed” (TAS) or “airspeed.” It is measured in meters per second (m/s).
- Iyy: This represents the moment of inertia of the aircraft about the pitch axis (the yawing moment of inertia). It quantifies the aircraft’s resistance to yawing motion and is typically measured in kilograms square meters (kg·m²).