Experimental Measurements of Cycle Averaged Forces for a Flapping Wing Vehicle

Abstract

In this work, experimental measurements of cycle-averaged forces produced by a flapping wing micro air vehicle are provided. The measurements are taken with a one degree-of-freedom force balance. The vehicle is mounted in different orientations so that cycle-averaged lift and drag can be measured. A variety of wing flapping frequencies are examined as well as different split-cycle parameters. The cycle-averaged measurements are compared to theoretical values obtained with a blade element model. The primary objective of this work is to determine if a blade element based aerodynamic model can accurately predict the cycle-averaged forces produced by wing flapping.

Publication
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference

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