RT Journal Article
T1 Simplified Model for Forward-Flight Transitions of a Bio-Inspired Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
A1 Sánchez-Laulhe Cazorla, Ernesto
A1 Fernández-Feria, Ramón
A1 Ollero, Anibal
K1 Aerodinámica
AB A new forward-flight model for bird-like ornithopters is presented. The flight dynamics model uses results from potential, unsteady aerodynamics to characterize the forces generated by the flapping wings, including the effects of the dynamic variables on the aerodynamic formulation. Numerical results of the model, which are validated with flapping flight experimental data of an ornithopter prototype, show that state variables such as the pitch angle and the angle of attack oscillate with the flapping frequency, while their mean values converge towards steady-state values. The theoretical analysis of the system shows a clear separation of timescales between flapping oscillations and transient convergence towards the final forward-flight state, which is used to substantially simplify both the interpretation and the solution of the dynamic equations. Particularly, the asymptotic separation into three timescales allows for dividing the problem into a much simpler set of linear equations. The theoretical approximation, which fits the numerical results, provides a direct look into the influence of the design and control parameters using fewer computational resources. Therefore, this model provides a useful tool for the design, navigation and trajectory planning and control of flapping wing UAVs.
PB IOAP-MPDI
YR 2022
FD 2022-10-18
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10630/25857
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10630/25857
LA eng
NO Sanchez-Laulhe E, Fernandez-Feria R, Ollero A. Simplified Model for Forward-Flight Transitions of a Bio-Inspired Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Aerospace. 2022; 9(10):617. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace9100617
NO The authors acknowledge support from the Advanced Grant of the European Research Council GRIFFIN, Action 788247. E.S.-L. also acknowledges his predoctoral contract at the Universidad de Málaga. Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga.
DS RIUMA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga
RD 21 ene 2026