Wing Mechanization Design and Wind Tunnel Testing for a Perching Micro Air Vehicle

Abstract:

This paper describes the development of a mechanized wing concept for a perching micro air vehicle. The wings are capable of rotating in pitch at two spanwise joints to simulate the motion of a bird’s wings during a perching maneuver. This project focuses on the wing mechanization design and analysis as well as the structure/mechanism integration. The advantage of a perching type of landing is that it allows the vehicle to land with approximately zero vertical and horizontal velocity on a tree branch, power line, or ledge. The requirements to perform this maneuver were investigated, the structural design was developed, and the mechanization integration to achieve this motion was determined. A model was designed and manufactured to demonstrate the kinematic mechanism making this wing motion possible. Wind tunnel testing and analytical simulation were also completed to further develop the model.

• Periodical: Advances in Science and Technology (Volume 56)
• Pages: 589-594
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AST.56.589
• Online since: September 2008
• Authors: Jennifer M. Lukens, Gregory W. Reich, Brian Sanders
• Keywords: Avian Flight, MAV Landing, MAV Power Requirement, Micro Air Vehicle (MAV), Micro Unmanned Air Vehicle, Perching, Structural Mechanization

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