An approximate treatment of the stability of a towed unbanked object in a condition of zero lift

Abstract

An approximate method is given for assessing the stability' of a towed object, using the same basic theory as Glauert and Etkin and Mackworth. The analysis is developed in terms of lateral stability, but can be simply translated to deal with the longitudinal case. Stability criteria are derived which involve a number of parameters, including the mass and moment of inertia of the body, its drag and transverse aerodynamic force and yawing moment characteristics, and the vertical separation between towed body and the tug. Formulae and charts are given for ready application of the method.