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Effects of Wing-Tail Coupling on Aerodynamic Performance of Flapping-Wing Aircraft
Chao Wang1,2, Longtian Zhang1, Hao Liu1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China.
Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 25, 2026
Summary
This study reveals how tail design impacts bird-inspired aircraft performance. Tail twist affects moments in level flight, while tail pitch is crucial for lift and thrust during climbing, highlighting bidirectional wing-tail coupling.
Area of Science:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Bio-inspired Robotics
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Limited understanding of bird-inspired flapping-wing aircraft aerodynamics across flight phases.
- Unclear flow field interaction mechanisms between wings and tail.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively evaluate aerodynamic effects of key tail parameters.
- To investigate bidirectional wing-tail aerodynamic coupling mechanisms.
- To provide a theoretical basis for optimizing bird-inspired aircraft control.
Main Methods:
- Three-dimensional numerical simulations using ANSYS Fluent.
- Application of the overset mesh method for complex geometries.
- Analysis of vorticity fields and pressure distributions.
Main Results:
- Tail twist negligibly affects lift/thrust in level flight but significantly impacts aerodynamic moments (e.g., 6% pitching moment increase with 5° twist).
- Tail pitch angle strongly influences lift/thrust during climbing, dependent on aircraft angle of attack (AoA).
- Confirmed bidirectional wing-tail coupling: tail modifies wing flow, and wing wake affects tail effectiveness.
Conclusions:
- Tail parameters play distinct roles in different flight phases (level vs. climbing).
- Bidirectional wing-tail aerodynamic coupling is critical for overall aircraft response.
- Findings support optimization of motion parameters and precise attitude control for these aircraft.
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