| The problem of reducing lift oscillations in flapping wing aircraft has been addressed. The approach followed was to flap two wings in tandem at different wing offset distances and flapping phase angles. The wings used in this work were scaled-down versions of the remotely-piloted ornithopter flown at UTIAS in 1991. It was found flapping-wing performance in thrust can be improved when they are flapped in tandem. The performance in lift decreased in tandem configuration, though the effect was marginal. The lift oscillations were greatly reduced when the wings were flapped out of phase. It was observed that the reduction in oscillatory behaviour was greater when the wings were further apart. The total thrust however, increased as the distance between the wings was reduced. |
