A Novel Hybrid Design of an Insect-Based Micro Air Vehicle Capable of Sustained and Controlled Flight

Abstract

We describe our novel hybrid design between flapping wing and fixed wing that is capable of sustained and controlled flight. The design of flapping wing micro air vehicle (FWMAV) combines two flapping wings and two fixed wings to take advantage of clap-and-fling effects at the end of each half flapping stroke for high thrust production as well as dynamic flight stability of the FW-MAV. Equipped with an onboard radio control system, which consists of a radio receiver, an electronic speed control (ESC), two servos for attitude flight control, and a single cell 3.7V/70mAh lithium polymer (LiPo) battery, the FW-MAV (14.6 grams, 22 cm tip-to-tip wing span) can demonstrate hovering flight, and sustained and controlled flight of about three minutes. Force measurement indicated that the FW-MAV produces thrust of 14.76 grams for liftoff at 10 Hz, and flaps at maximal frequency of 12.4 Hz with cycleaverage vertical thrust of about 23.52 grams. The effect of wing claps at dorsal and ventral sides significantly increase cycle-average vertical thrust up to about 44.82% when compared to the case without wing clap. Power measurement indicates that the efficiency of the gearbox without wing attached is more than 80%, and the maximal thrust-to-power ratio of the FW-MAV is about 4.17.