Date of Award

5-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Sciences

First Advisor

Brian A. Kish

Second Advisor

Markus Wilde

Third Advisor

Isaac Silver

Fourth Advisor

David Fleming

Abstract

The Falcon 10/100 is a transport category aircraft developed by Dassault Aviation in 1971. Production of the aircraft ceased in 1989, but it remains available on the secondhand market. Certification for these types of aircraft follow FAR Part 25 of the code of federal regulations. Aircraft stability and control flying qualities are dependent on the mission profile and intended use case of the aircraft. External factors, such as turbulence, are relevant for transport category aircraft because poor stability could affect the flying characteristics and result in an unpleasant ride. On the other hand, in a trimmed condition, an aircraft with strong positive stability has a greater resistance to disturbances. Additional requirements for military planes are available in military specification MIL-F-8785C. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the stability and control characteristics of the Dassault Falcon 10/100. The flight test focused on the evaluation of the following: Phugoid mode for dynamic longitudinal stability, static lateral-directional stability, and the Spiral and Dutch roll modes for dynamic lateral-directional stability. Results from the flight test indicate that the aircraft has acceptable stability characteristics in accordance with federal regulations and military specifications. Programs that offer jet flight testing are available through institutions like the Naval or the Air Force Test Pilot School. Few universities in the United States offer elective courses for students interested in this field of engineering. A potential benefit of offering jet aircraft flight testing, as a restricted elective, is to provide students from all nationalities with an affordable alternative to military programs.

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