Efficient flapping wing drone arrests high-speed flight using post-stall soaring.

Area of Science:

• Robotics and Bio-inspired Engineering
• Aerospace Engineering
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Swift flight maneuvers offer potential for micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) in complex environments.
• Previous flapping wing craft struggled with the high thrust and control authority needed for aerobatic decelerations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a flapping wing ornithopter capable of swift-like aerobatic maneuvers.
• To overcome limitations in thrust and control authority for decelerating flight in MAVs.

Main Methods:

• Design and construction of a 26-gram X-wing ornithopter with a 200-mm fuselage.
• Implementation of tail elevation and a novel low-loss anti-whirl transmission for high thrust generation.
• Piloting the ornithopter through hover, fast forward flight, aerobatic turns, and dives.

Main Results:

• The ornithopter achieved multimodal flight, including hovering, darting, and diving with smooth transitions.
• Aerobatic turns with a 32-mm radius and a maximum deceleration of 31.4 m/s² were accomplished.
• A novel transmission system generated thrust exceeding body weight by 40 grams and reduced power consumption by 40% compared to direct drive.

Conclusions:

• The X-wing ornithopter successfully mimics swift-like aerobatic capabilities, enabling flight in cluttered spaces.
• The developed transmission system is key to achieving high thrust and efficient power usage.
• Flapping wings' multiple roles (propulsion, lift, drag) combined with simple tail control facilitate aggressive flight maneuvers.