Dihedral Effects in Aircraft Flight
Dihedral Effects in Aircraft Flight
In the context of aircraft flight, the dihedral effect is the phenomenon of roll moment created from sideslip. The dihedral effect of an aircraft is largely affected by its dihedral angle, which is the angle of deflection of the wings from level in the roll plane. Positive values indicate the wing tips are above the wing roots (the wings go up as they get farther from the plane), while negative values indicate the tips are below the roots (the wings go down as they get farther from the plane). When the aircraft rolls, this effect will tend to either create a restoring moment or a deviating moment, respectively. In other words, a positive dihedral angle tends to increase stability, while a negative dihedral angle tends to increase maneuverability. These both have their applications, as stability is desirable for passenger and cargo planes and the like, while maneuverability is preferable for fighter aircraft.