Testing of a passively morphing ornithopter wing
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abstract
In spite of its bio-mimetic origins, current ornithopter flight is in sharp contrast to that of avian flight. Typically ornithopter wings are designed to have one revolute degree of freedom, which results in a substantial amount of negative lift generation during the up-stroke portion of the flapping cycle. This work presents the testing of a passively morphing ornithopter wing which uses a torsional spring to bend the wing during the upstroke and reduce the surface area, thereby significantly increasing the net lift generated over the flapping cycle. Copyright 2009 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc.