Analysis of the Effects of Removing Nose Ballast from the F-15 Eagle.

摘要

This study investigated the results of removing lead ballast from the nose section of the F-15 Air Superiority fighter. The goal of the investigation was to determine if aircraft handling qualities remained acceptable with the ballast removed, and also to determine what improvements in aircraft nose pointing authority resulted. Actual F-15 weight reports were used to calculate the worst case aft center of gravity location shift due to the ballast removal. Several configurations with different center of gravity locations (based on various amounts of lead weights removed) were used for comparison to the baseline aircraft. Moments of inertia were calculated for each configuration, which in turn were used in a 6 degree of freedom computer simulation of the F-15. Simulation test points were then examined throughout the flight envelope of the F-15. Simulation results and better aircraft weight management results support removing (on average) approximately 200 pounds of lead ballast from the nose section of the single seat Air Superiority F-15 Eagle, with a resulting 3 percent increase in pitch rate. A suggested flight test profile is presented for flight verification of the simulation results.