Effects of Mass Variation on the Motion of Receiver Aircraft During In-Flight Refueling.

This paper presents the results of a study of the dynamic behavior of two aircraft that are flying in formation while one of them is being refueled by the other in mid-flight. The study focusses on the changes that occur in the mass and inertia of the receiver aircraft during refueling, and their impact on the receiver aircraft dynamics. It is found that in the absence of corrective control action, variations in the mass of the receiver lead to appreciable increase in longitudinal and vertical separation of the receiver from the tanker. The receiver's pitch rate and pitch angle relative to the tanker are also found to increase as refueling progresses. The lateral motion of the receiver relative to the tanker is mostly unaffected by mass variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]