On Fri, 17 Jun 2005 00:20:28 -0700, Ed Sullivan
wrote:

On Fri, 17 Jun 2005 01:06:53 GMT, Gord Beaman
wrote:


stick.

Ok, thanks...I know that sweepback will increase fore and aft
stability by making the critical fore and aft CG limits 'farther
apart' but I sure can't see how it affects lateral
stability...anyhoo...if you find out could you tip me off?
Thanks Ed.

This is not a complete explanation, but it might help.

http://avstop.com/AC/FlightTraingHan...Stability.html

It does help - but in a disconfirming sense - let me quote:

"The contribution of sweepback to dihedral effect is important
because of the nature of the contribution. In a sideslip the wing into
the wind is operating with an effective decrease in sweepback while
the wing out of the wind is operating with an effective increase in
sweepback. The reader will recall that the swept wing is responsive
only to the wind component that is perpendicular to the wing's leading
edge. Consequently, if the wing is operating at a positive lift
coefficient, the wing into the wind has an increase in lift, and the
wing out of the wind has a decrease in lift. In this manner the swept
back wing would contribute a positive dihedral effect and the swept
forward wing would contribute a negative dihedral effect. "

This suggests that sweepback is directionally destabilizing..... (?)

Brian Whatcott Altus, OK