Flight Stability Analysis and Pitch Attitude Control of A Blended-Wing-Body Glider

Abstract

In short, a blended-wing-body (BWB) glider is essentially a fixed-wing glider with no dividing line between its wings and main body. This means that the aircraft’s wing and body are blended together and ZETA FX-79 is such a BWB tailless glider. The BWB configuration enables the glider to produce higher lift force to keep it aloft in the air for longer period of time. Nonetheless, its configuration also makes it critical to understand its aerodynamics and stability performance in order to design a controller for a stable and safe flight. In this study, aerodynamics and stability analyses for Zeta FX-79 glider are conducted and presented. The aerodynamic analysis is performed using XFLR5 software whereas the stability analysis is simulated using MATLAB. The obtained results are then referenced to design a pitch attitude controller for the glider.