In flight mechanics, “Mu” represents the pitching moment acting on the aircraft. The pitching moment (Mu) is a rotational force or torque that tends to cause the aircraft to pitch, which means to rotate around its lateral axis, causing the nose to either pitch up or pitch down.
- Mu: This represents the pitching moment acting on the aircraft.
- Cmu: This is the dimensionless coefficient of the pitching moment due to changes in airspeed (u). It’s often referred to as the “pitching moment coefficient.”
- QS: This is the dynamic pressure of the air, given by (1/2) * ρ * u^2, where ρ is the air density and u is the airspeed.
- u0: This is likely the reference airspeed or flight velocity.
- Iyy: This represents the moment of inertia of the aircraft about the pitch axis, often called the “pitching moment of inertia.”
- c: This typically represents the mean aerodynamic chord (MAC), which is a characteristic length of the aircraft’s wing.