Determination of the Spin and Recovery Characteristics of a General Aviation Design

The equilibrium spin technique implemented in a graphical form for obtaining spin and recovery characteristics from rotary balance data is outlined. Results of its application to recent rotary balance tests of the NASA low-wing general aviation aircraft are discussed. The present results, which are an extension of previously published findings, indicate the ability of the equilibrium method to accurately evaluate spin modes and recovery control effectiveness. A comparison of the calculated results with available spin-tunnel and full-scale findings is presented. The technique is suitable for preliminary design applications as determined from the available results and data base requirements. A full discussion of implementation considerations and a summary of the results obtained from this method to date are presented.