Stability and Control characteristics of the Early Mark Spitfires

[robtek]

Originally Posted by JtD

Little jump start for that list, a certainly extreme example:
- F4U with CoG at .334 MAC, trim 1.7° up (neutral at 300 mph, 8500ft): 0in stick travel and 5lbs push force to maintain 5.5g in a steady turn.

Anyway, I got no time for this. Whoever may be interested in getting it right instead of having the last word and discrediting others can certainly dig up more data on his/her own.

So you are saying that when a F4U at 300mph in level flight at 8500ft is banked it will make a 5.5 g turn without any pilot input except aileron for the banking
and 5 lbs forward pressure on the stick to keep the stick in neutral position?
If so, the plane is trimmed wrong for this turn.

To have a relation to the stick forces the planes should do a similar maneuvre , like a pull up, without airplane specific quirks, as the automatic 5.5g turn surely is one.

In the pull up the Spitfire with normal CoG and cruise speed needs three quarters of a inch stick travel with about 6lbs pull force to have a three g pull up.

I would be interested in the values of other planes in a similar set up.

I'm pretty sure the Spitfire values are pretty unique here.