Dynamic flight stability of a hovering model dragonfly

Abstract

The longitudinal dynamic flight stability of a model dragonfly at hovering flight is studied, using the method of computational fluid dynamics to compute the stability derivatives and the techniques of eigenvalue and eigenvector analysis for solving the equations of motion. Three natural modes of motion are identified for the hovering flight: one unstable oscillatory mode, one stable fast subsidence mode and one stable slow subsidence mode. The flight is dynamically unstable owing to the unstable oscillatory mode. The instability is caused by a pitch-moment derivative with respect to horizontal velocity. The damping force and moment derivatives (with respect to horizontal and vertical velocities and pitch-rotational velocity, respectively) weaken the instability considerably. The aerodynamic interaction between the forewing and the hindwing does not have significant effect on the stability properties. The dragonfly has similar stability derivatives, hence stability properties, to that of a one-wing-pair insect at normal hovering, but there are differences in how the derivatives are produced because of the highly inclined stroke plane of the dragonfly.