Comprehensive characterization of airship response to wind and time varying mass
Résumé
This paper addresses the significance of airship time varying inertia properties due to fuel consumption, as well as the effect of external wind, on the dynamic response of an AS500 airship. A previously developed set of nonlinear, 6-DOF airship equations of motion which include the effect of time-varying mass and inertia properties associated with fuel consumption, as well as wind effect, have been implemented with an alternate aerodynamic model that has been validated by flight test. The simulation results obtained are both with and without the time varying mass terms in the equations of motion, in both steady cruise and prevailing wind conditions, and involving the exercise of all control mechanisms on board to include those exciting the airship both longitudinally and laterally.