Development of a Micro Twin-Rotor Cyclocopter Capable of Autonomous Hover
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A study was conducted to demonstrate the development of a micro twin-rotor cyclocopter capable of autonomous hover. The blades used on the twin-cyclocopter were fabricated mostly out of foam with carbon-fiber reinforcement inside and a single-layer 0/90 degree carbon composite prepreg skin wrapped around the foam core at the blade tips. Foam helped in maintaining the required airfoil shape for the blades, while most of the bending and torsion stiffness was provided by the carbon-fiber structure embedded inside the foam. One of the key requirements for the success of a cyclocopter was a simplified lightweight blade-pitching mechanism. A feedback control system was required to provide sufficient attitude damping and stiffness to achieve stable hover.
