Emergency Flight Control Using Only Engine Thrust and Lateral Center-of-Gravity Offset: A First Look

Burcham Jr., Frank W. and Burken, John and Maine, Trindel A. and Bull, John (1997) Emergency Flight Control Using Only Engine Thrust and Lateral Center-of-Gravity Offset: A First Look. Technical Report NASA TM-4798, Research Engineering, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center.

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Abstract

Normally, the damage that results in a total loss of the primary flight controls of a jet transport airplane, including all engines on one side, would be catastrophic. In response, NASA Dryden has conceived an emergency flight control system that uses only the thrust of a wing-mounted engine along with a lateral center-of-gravity (CGY) offset from fuel transfer. Initial analysis and simulation studies indicate that such a system works, and recent high-fidelity simulation tests on the MD-11 and B-747 suggest that the system provides enough control for a survivable landing. This paper discusses principles of flight control using only a wing engine thrust and CGY offset, along with the amount of CGY offset capability of some transport airplanes. The paper also presents simulation results of the throttle-only control capability and closed-loop control of ground track using computer-controlled thrust.

EPrint Type:	NASA Technical Memorandum
Keywords:	B-747, Emergency control, Engine-out control, Lateral center-of-gravity offset, MD-11, Propulsion control
Subjects:	Aircraft/Project: Boeing 747 Aircraft/Project: MD-11 (01 - 09) Aeronautics: (08) Aircraft Stability And Control
ID Code:	122
Deposited On:	07 June 2004
Additional Information:	20 pages. Published in proceeding for 33rd AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, July 6–9, 1997, Seattle, Washington as AIAA-97-3189. Frank W. Burcham, Jr., John Burken, and Trindel A. Maine, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California; John Bull, CAELUM Research Corporation, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California.