Preliminary design of a small-sized flapping UAV. I. Kinematic and structural aspects

The aim of the article is the kinematic and geometric design of a flapping wing UAV, in order to develop an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, capable of executing reconnaissance and video-surveillance missions. To define the characteristic dimensions of the vehicle a biological study was initially carried out, analyzing, for example, the weight-wingspan ratio for the correct kinematics of the flight. On the other hand, several mechanisms capable to reproduce flapping flight were analyzed, searching for the best solution in terms of wings’ articulation. Then, an optimization of the length of the different parts of the mechanism was needed to reproduce the kinematic law, provided by CFD (computational fluid dynamics) simulations. The results of the optimization were the basis on which the design of the mechanism parts will be produced. In the related article the flight stability and the effects of flapping wing on the dynamics of flight are studied.