Longitudinal stability characteristics of the LASTA airplane

Purpose This paper presents the longitudinal stability analysis of a single tractor propeller airplane LASTA at high engine power settings. This analysis is part of the ongoing process of certifying the airplane for civil use according to the civil regulations CS-23. Design/methodology/approach The design methodology that is presented in the paper consists of comparing flight test aerodynamic and calculation results. The methods used here are standard and routinely used in flight testing. Findings Flight testing results indicate that at low airspeeds the cumulative destabilizing effects because of high values of the angle of attack and high power settings are about 6 per cent of MAC. This value is in a very good agreement with published data. Practical implications The information presented in this paper are new, and are very specific to this one aircraft configuration. The methods used here are standard and widely used in flight testing. Originality/value The information in this paper presents flight test results. There are not many publications in this area.