A Low Cost Stall/Spin Simulator

A method for simulating flight conditions into stall, post-stall spin entry and steady state spin has been developed using a high performance graphics workstation. Its objective is to provide an easy and low cost means of evaluating the high angular rate and high angle of attack handling qualities of preliminary general aviation configurations. Wing forces and moments are integrated over the span to provide real-time solutions of the full nonlinear equations of motion and provide visual simulation of aircraft motion from the pilot's viewpoint, or an outside view of the aircraft. The technique was found to be in good agreement with flight test data of a light aircraft, and offers a simple means of assessing the stall/spin characters of light aircraft configurations.