A Variable Forward-Sweep Wing Design for Improved Perching in Micro Aerial Vehicles

Citation:

Z. R. Manchester, J. I. Lipton, R. J. Wood, and S. Kuindersma, “A Variable Forward-Sweep Wing Design for Improved Perching in Micro Aerial Vehicles,” in 55th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, AIAA SciTech Forum, 2017.
morphing-wing.pdf5.05 MB
A Variable Forward-Sweep Wing Design for Improved Perching in Micro Aerial Vehicles

Abstract:

A micro aerial vehicle with a variable forward-sweep wing is proposed with the goal of enhancing performance and controllability during high-angle-of-attack perching maneuvers. Data is presented from a series of wind tunnel experiments to quantify the aerodynamic effects of forward sweep over a range of angles of attack from -25 degrees to +75 degrees. A nonlinear dynamics model is constructed using the wind tunnel data to gain further insight into aircraft flight dynamics and controllability. Simulated perching trajectories optimized with a direct collocation method indicate that the forward-swept wing configuration can achieve qualitatively different lower-cost perching maneuvers than the straight wing configuration.

Last updated on 05/01/2017