Flapping fixed-wing drone
DESCRIPTION:
Birds manage to fly without the use of propellers. Instead, they flap their wings. Airplanes, on the other hand, are usually not designed to flap their wings. That’s a shame, because it is well known that flapping can be a more efficient form of propulsion than propellers or jets. This is linked to the fact that flapping fliers use the same airfoils for lift and propulsion. Is it possible to use the wings of a normal fixed-wing aircraft to produce propulsion? Well, not without a minor modification…
If you hang a weight under an airplane, from a line connected to a winch inside the airplane, fly like a rollercoaster while winching the weight up and down (and these things have to be about 90 degrees out of phase) it should be possible to use the power of the winch to propel the aircraft forwards. Theoretically. According to high-school physics. Could this be true? Let’s find out!
The plan is to get a remote-controlled glider airplane, fit it with a small winch and try this out!
EQUIPMENT/SKILLS/PEOPLE NEEDED:
- Pilots (actually! particularly model airplane pilots or dextrous gamers)
- Model airplane/car/train builders
- Remote-controlled glider
- Remote control
- A large hall where we can fly the remote-controlled glider in controlled conditions
LINKS TO MORE INFORMATION
Introduction to flapping wing design
HACKERS:
- Svein
Please add constructive feedback, suggestions, offers of equipment or skills, and gestures of wild enthusiasm as replies below. Thanks!
