Directional Stability
Directional or weathercock stability is concerned with the static stability of the airplane about the z axis. Just as in the case of longitudial stability it is desirable that the aircraft should tend to return to an equilibrium condition when subjected to someform of yawing disturbance. For this the slope of the yawing moment curve must be positive. An airplane posseing this mode of stability will always point towards the relative wind, hence the name weathercock stability.
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Famous quotes containing the word stability:
“Every nation ... whose affairs betray a want of wisdom and stability may calculate on every loss which can be sustained from the more systematic policy of its wiser neighbors.”
—James Madison (1751–1836)