Abstract

The Air Force Research Lab, Munitions Directorate has designed a man-portable Micro-Air-Vehicle (MAV) used for on-the-spot reconnaissance and post-strike Battle Damage Assessment. The wing on this 24′′ span, 6′′ chord MAV consists of a flexible parachute material attached to a rigid carbon-fiber skeleton, and deforms considerably under aerodynamic loading. The effect this flexible structure has on aerodynamic performance characteristics was assessed in wind tunnel tests at the Air Force Institute of Technology. Forces and moments were measured for the flexible wing MAV and a rigid wing counterpart, enabling the isolation of the effect of flexure. Measurements indicated that increased wing flexure delayed stall and increased the maximum value of L/D by approximately 20 to 30 percent for airspeeds ranging from 20 to 50 miles per hour. The flexible wing MAV displayed static stability in all three principal control axes. The vehicle’s response to control surface deflection was also measured. These deflections resulted in predictable and consistent performance between -10° and +10° deflection. Responses declined steadily after ±10°, and in some circumstances, showed slope sign reversal, evidently due to separation effects. Preliminary Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and XFOIL predictions are presented for the 2-D rigid wing and compared to experimental data.

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