Passenger comfort during formation flight within atmospheric turbulence

• Main Author: Bizinos, Nicholas
• Other Authors: Redelinghuys, Christiaan
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: University of Cape Town 2015
• Subjects: Mechanical Engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12050

Includes abstract. === Includes bibliographical references. === Formation flight is currently being investigated as a means to reduce drag and improve fuel efficiency in commercial aviation. In light of this, the potential for passenger discomfort due to the formation flying through free air turbulence was considered in this study. In an attempt to approximately ascertain the increase in discomfort, a simple formation flight aerodynamic model for two aircraft in formation was developed. The wing trailing vortices were assumed to shift in an ideal fashion within atmospheric turbulence resulting in aerodynamic disturbance loads acting on the trailing aircraft. As the sensitivity of the human body to vibrations is frequency dependent, spectral representation of atmospheric turbulence was incorporated. Monte Carlo simulations were done for various levels of turbulence intensity.