ISSN:
1662-0356
Source:
Scientific.Net: Materials Science & Technology / Trans Tech Publications Archiv 1984-2008
Topics:
Natural Sciences in General
,
Technology
Notes:
Flying has been inspired by biology since the very early days of aviation. Althoughaircraft look to be established with regard to their structural design today, active materials haveagain triggered as to what degree aerodynamic profiles could become more adaptive with regard totheir shape and achieving enhanced flight performance. Demonstrating the shortcomings of wingadaptiveness on manned aircraft size is time consuming and costly. This can however be overcomeby performing these demonstrations on aircraft at much smaller scale. Aircraft at this scale aremicro aerial vehicles (MAV) which have spans far less than a metre and a weight of no more than afew hundred grams. To enhance manoeuvrability and stability birds and insects use actuationprinciples along their wings such as changing wing thickness or stiffness, or actuating individualflaps with their feathers. Similar effects will be shown for an MAV’s wing thickness and stiffnesschange regarding flight stability and manoeuvrability and how this can be realised using activematerials. It will be explained how a variable V-tail and a vector thrust propulsion system can berealised on an MAV and the resulting effect on flight performance. Results from real flight testswill be included and conclusions will be based on the consequences regarding larger sized aircraft
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://www.tib-hannover.de/fulltexts/2011/0528/01/42/transtech_doi~10.4028%252Fwww.scientific.net%252FAST.56.534.pdf
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