Limit-cycle oscillations of aircraft caused by flutter-induced drag

It has been shown in earlier work that the energy for flutter comes from propulsion, that is, flutter leads to an increase in drag. The present paper seeks to explain the effect of flutter-induced drag on aircraft response. It is shown that the aircraft can undergo limit-cycle oscillations even if the oscillations are in the linear structural and aerodynamic lift range. These limit-cycle oscillations occur as a result of the inability of the engine to support exponentially increasing oscillations. The limit-cycle oscillations are composed of variations in flight speed and amplitude of vibration. This modality of limit-cycle oscillations has not been presented in earlier literature and leads to better understanding of the limit-cycle oscillation problem.