A new simplified framework to study flutter and assess the full scale flutter wind speed is suggested. The flutter instability problem is reduced from a problem involving 8 flutter derivatives to only 4 coefficients. With this method it is possible to estimate the self-excited forces with increased precision by using stability diagrams. Furthermore, the physical transparency of the aerodynamic damping and stiffness terms is increased because the development in vertical and torsional damping and stiffness is analysed instead of flutter derivatives.