Airplane level turn performance, including stability constraints, using extended bifurcation and continuation method

Maximum turn rate is considered to be a good indicator of fighter aircraft maneu-verability and much importance is attached to this metric while evaluating the combat effectiveness of fighters. The upper bounds on the maximum turn rate are usually set by aerodynamic, structural, human, and propulsive constraints. While aircraft performance and stability have been addressed individually, a simultaneous analysis has not been feasible until now. In this paper, the Extended Bifurcation and Continuation (EBAC) method has been used to simultaneously analyze the performance and stability aspects of an aircraft in a maximum turn rate maneuver. Stability has been shown to limit the maximum instantaneous and sustained turn rate that can be attained at different flight speeds, as well as the flight speeds at which maximum turn rates can be attained.