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Utilities/Axes Transformations

The Direction Cosine Matrix Body to Wind block converts angle of attack and sideslip angle into a 3-by-3 direction cosine matrix (DCM). The DCM matrix performs the coordinate transformation of a vector in body axes (ox0, oy0, oz0) into a vector in wind axes (ox2, oy2, oz2). The order of the axis rotations required to bring this about is:
A rotation about oy0 through the angle of attack (α) to axes (ox1, oy1, oz1)
A rotation about oz1 through the sideslip angle (β) to axes (ox2, oy2, oz2)

Combining the two axis transformation matrices defines the following DCM.


| Input | Dimension Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
First | 2-by-1 vector | Contains the angle of attack and sideslip angle, in radians. |
| Output | Dimension Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
First | 3-by-3 direction cosine matrix | Transforms body-fixed vectors to wind-fixed vectors. |
Stevens, B. L., and F. L. Lewis, Aircraft Control and Simulation, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1992.
Direction Cosine Matrix Body to Wind to Alpha and Beta
Direction Cosine Matrix to Rotation Angles
Direction Cosine Matrix to Wind Angles
Rotation Angles to Direction Cosine Matrix
Wind Angles to Direction Cosine Matrix
![]() | Digital DATCOM Forces and Moments | Direction Cosine Matrix Body to Wind to Alpha and Beta | ![]() |

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