Stability of a flapping wing micro air vehicle

An experimental investigation into the stability of a flapping wing micro air vehicle was performed at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies. A three-degree of freedom force balance was designed and constructed to measure the forces and moments exhibited by a set of flapping wings through 180° of rotation at varied free-stream velocities. The same apparatus was also used to test two tail configurations.; A two-dimensional simulation program was written using MATLAB software to identify stable vehicle configurations at or near the hovering condition. A total of four case studies were performed, and each revealed the vehicle had inherent stability. The presence of a tail on the vehicle produced only marginal effects. Of crucial importance was the placement of the vehicle center of gravity with respect to the wings. A preferred distance of 3.5 cm from the c.g. to the leading edge of the wings allowed for stable flight under all cases studied.