Design and Verification of a Large-Scaled Flapping-Wing Aircraft Named “Cloud Owl”
Source abstract
Abstract
The bionic flapping-wing aircraft has the advantages of high flexibility and strong concealment; however, in the existing flapping-wing aircraft, the platform performance is influenced by the payload capacity, endurance, and durability; additionally, the mission capability is constrained, making it challenging to put into use in real-world scenarios. In response to this issue, this article offers a thorough design approach for a large-span flapping-wing aircraft, focusing on effective flapping wings, effective flapping mechanism design, and enhancement of flapping mechanism reliability, and ultimately realizing the design and verification of a new bionic flapping-wing aircraft with a large wingspan, called “Cloud Owl”. It has a wingspan of 1.82 m and weighs 980 g. The aircraft is capable of autonomous flight and remote control, and it can carry a range of mission-specific equipment. More than 200 flights have been made by “Cloud Owl” so far in Xi’an, Beijing, Tianjin, Tibet, Ganzi, and other places. It has evolved into a flapping-wing aircraft platform with exceptional stability, payload capacity, and long endurance.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Biomimetic flight and propulsion mechanisms · Underwater Vehicles and Communication Systems · Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
School of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
Research & Development Institute of Northwestern Polytechnical University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518057, China
Yangtze River Delta Research Institute of Northwestern Polytechnical University, Taicang 215400, China
Funding
Shenzhen Science and Technology Program and Research · Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation · Basic Research Program of Shenzhen · National Natural Science Foundation of China · Youth Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China · Key R&D Program in Shaanxi Province · National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Aerodynamic Design and Research
References (25)
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