22nd Congress of International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences, Harrogate, UK, 28 August - 1st September, 2000
Paper ICAS 2000-1.3.4

AERODYNAMIC ASPECTS OF FLAPPING WING MICRO AIR VEHICLES

J. Szmelter, R. Zbikowski
Cranfield University, UK

Keywords: micro air vehicles, insect-like flapping flight, cfd

The main objective of this paper is to discuss the nature of the little known aerodynamics of the flapping wing micro air vehicles (MAVs), inspired by insect flight. These small (ca 6 inches, or hand-held) reconnaissance vehicles will fly inside buildings, which requires hover for observation and agility at low speeds to move in confined spaces. For this flight envelope insect-like flapping flight seems to be an optimal mode of flying. The investigation of the aerodynamics of the flapping wing MAVs is very challenging. The problem involves complex unsteady, viscous flows (dominantly laminar) with the moving wing generating vortices and interacting with them. At this early stage of research a strategy for numerical modelling has been established. The initial CFD capabilities and their application are described. In particular, scaled up wings of a Bibio fly are used with representative wing kinematics to analyse steady-state, inviscid flow in forward flight.

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