DESIGN OF PROPELLER-ASSISTED FLAPPING WING AIR VEHICLES FOR ENHANCED AERODYNAMIC PERFORMANCE

摘要

Flapping flight is impressive because aerodynamic performance increases whereas fixed wing aircraft performance declines in low Reynolds regimes. In order to achieve biologically-inspired flapping, motion in multiple degrees of freedom is required and power density requirements must be satisfied. Given the mass of high output actuators, weight is a key limitation as it must be offset for flight. In light of this, only recently, with developments in motor technology, has independent wing control been achieved with consumer available components. Due to power demands, motor bandwidth is used largely to sustain flight, limiting the effect of wing independence. An interesting paradigm is one where the aerodynamic flight advantages of propeller-driven flight are utilized in addition to those of flapping wings to allow hybrid vehicles that can occupy unique operational bandwidth. In this work, a propeller-assisted version of Robo Raven, a miniature independent wing flapping air vehicle developed at the University of Maryland College Park, is presented. Having successfully flown with propeller assistance and having demonstrated improved force generation for aerodynamic performance over flapping alone, this modified Robo Raven will constitute the next major iteration of the vehicle as Robo Raven V