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Effect of Rain and Bugs on Flight Behavior of Tail-First Airplanes

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Effect of Rain and Bugs on Flight Behavior of Tail-First Airplanes By Don Hewes (EAA 32101) minimize problems in the future. This article, therefore, is in- 12 Meadow Drive tended to be an indepth assessment of the phenomenon to help Newport News, VA 23606 the designer and builder gain a better overall understanding. In general, the several instances of extreme flight behavior referred to in these magazine articles represent the extreme or Overview most severe cases of a phenomenon which I've chosen to call This three part article concerns the effects of rain and bugs "Flight Behavior Change" or "FBC" for convenience in this article and for lack of a proper term. To say that these cases represent on the flight behavior of canard and tandem-wing airplanes which have been of concern to a number of homebuilders for quite some the norm and apply equally to all current designs would be grossly time. In the past few months a number of rather harrowing incorrect and would be a great injustice to the designers who have inflight experiences have been related in some of the aviation made very sincere efforts to minimize or eliminate this type of magazines and the apparent causes for them have been discussed behavior. It is important, however, to relate to these cases because to some extent. This article covers the subject in considerably they tend to "show us the way", but bear in mind that there are more technical detail and addresses some aspects that have not many tail-first airplanes flying which show only minimal changes been treated elsewhere. Some recent NASA data pertinent to the in behavior or none at all. Although FBC does occur with conventional airplanes, it is subject are presented along with some information supplied by generally of little concern for them. Sailplane enthusiasts have designers of these airplanes. An analysis and interpretation of long recognized and dealt with rain and bugs but the concern the available information is included along with a number of there apparently has been primarily with the effects on perfor- suggestions and recommendations for interested designers and mance at cruise conditions. Now, however, the phenomenon has homebuilders. become something of a problem with the new canard and tandem There are some areas which are not yet documented and some wing designs not only from the standpoint of performance but, which are still not clearly understood. However, based on availa- more importantly, from that of control and maneuvering. ble information, it is judged that this behavior is not necessarily Because both canard and tandem-wing configurations are dangerous BUT proper attention must be given to it in the design, generically similar, I'll generally use the term "tail-first" hereaf- building and operation of a tail-first airplane. Because of the ter for convenience to refer to either a canard or a tandem-wing complex interaction of the aerodynamic characteristics involved, design. By "generically similar", I mean that they both have two there are different forms of behavior that can be encountered with lifting surfaces each carrying a significant portion of the airplane's airplanes of different design. Moreover, it appears that the be- weight and both have the elevator located on the forward surface. havior of airplanes of the same design may differ depending on It is understood, of course, that the area and load ratios of the the specific design features, construction techniques and work- surfaces are different and this may be important from the manship details. Selection of the airfoils and accuracy in duplicat- standpoint of severity of the FBC, but this is not important for ing the shape, smoothness and alignment of the lifting surfaces purposes of classification. The difference between pusher and are considered to be of prime importance. tractor configuration is believed to be of relatively little signifi- Because each homebuilt aiplane is more or less unique in the cance for this phenomenon. aerodynamic sense due to the variables introduced during con- FBC can be triggered by any one or more of several agents struction, the builder must exercise his responsible role in assur- including rain, bugs, frost, snow, ice or any other material that ing the airworthiness of his own airplane. The builders and disrupts the boundary layer airflow of the lifting surfaces. There- designers can be of great mutual benefit by conducting specific fore, for convenience, I am simply using the term "contamination" flight tests and exchanging detailed information in those areas to refer to the condition brought on by any of these agents. not yet well documented and understood. Contamination may produce either a pitchdown or pitchup trim change and may be apparent to some degree over the complete Introduction flight envelope. In some cases, it may become very serious as Recent issues of SPORT AVIATION, Homebuilt Aircraft and airspeed is reduced and landing conditions are established or as Aviation Consumer have highlighted a number of instances in a takeoff is attempted. Furthermore, the nature and seriousness which there have been extreme changes in the longitudinal flight of the problem can vary from one copy to another of the same behavior of different homebuilt tail-first airplanes with particular design. emphasis on the tandem-wing configuration. Accumulation of We will cover this subject in three installments with the first rain, bugs or some other material that disrupts the laminar presenting an analysis of some of the aerodynamic factors in- airflow over the lifting surfaces has been attributed as the primary volved. The second installment will discuss some pertinent wind cause for these changes that, in some cases, have resulted in forced tunnel and flight test data, and the last will discuss a number of landings and injuries. Although it is important to understand related subjects including suggestions and recommendations. Al- that this is the primary cause, it is equally important to under- though considerable technical details and data are involved, we stand many of the other factors that are involved and how these have tried to include definitions and explanations of those items can be controlled by the designer and builder so as to avoid or which may not be readily understood by non-technical readers. 36 MAY 1983 Unfortunately, this led to a fairly lengthy text that many may of airplanes and attempting to find the cause for and solutions to find tedious to read, but I encourage those who are interested in the problems encountered. The end product of such work was a tail-first airplanes to read it all the way to the end. report of this effort written in an objective and unbiased manner, insofar as possible, and distributed to appropriate interested per- Background sons and organizations. With this background, it was only natural for me to apply the same approach to this particular subject as I first took note of the phenomenon several years ago at one an extension of my interests in the homebuilt airplane movement of the forums at Oshkosh where a description was given of a very and my desire to help advance the principles of safe flight. mild change in trimmed airspeed along with a gradual change in I'll conclude this discussion by noting that in the past few altitude when rain was encountered. Over the intervening years, months indirect references have been made in two separate news- I had been hearing of an increasing number of similar experiences letters to statements that I have made concerning the behavior and noted that some of the designers cautioned about flying in of tail-first airplanes as well as to the material presented in this rain or with dirty wings. Finally, when I started to build my article and in both cases I have been incorrectly quoted. I hope Dragonfly airplane over a year ago, I decided to took further into that those who may have noted those references will reassess the the problem myself. contents of those newsletters in the light of the material presented I've been a pilot since college days with essentially all my time in this article. Please bear in mind, of course, that there are in lightplanes but I have briefly flown several larger airplanes several areas in which personal opinion or judgment has to be including helicopers and heavy twins. I have briefly flown four used because there is insufficient information on which to base different tail-first airplanes, the prototype VariEze, Dick Rutan's firm conclusions. In these cases, you must allow room for honest Long-EZ, the RAF Long-EZ and the prototype Drangonfly This differences of opinion. experience certainly does not qualify me as a test pilot by any stretch of the imagination but I felt that my past 33 years experi- Definition of Problem Areas ence as an aero research engineer specializing in dynamic stability Our first concern is to identify just what flight behavior prob- and control at NASA's Langley Research Center provided me with the background to approach the problem on a fairly sound techni- lem areas we are going to be concerned with. In general, there cal basis. (I am now retired and have no direct connection with appear to be seven areas in which contamination effects can play NASA other than as a retiree.) a significant role; that is, 1) takeoff distance and speed, 2) rate Fortunately, some of my former associates at NASA had just of climb, 3) landing speed and distance, 4) stick forces and pitch completed a wind tunnel study using a full-scale model of the trim travel, 51 maneuvers at takeoff and approach speeds, 6) cruise VariEze tested in the Langley 30x60 foot wind tunnel and some efficiency, and 7) maximum speed.
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