Micro Air Vehicle‐Motivated Aerodynamics

Abstract

MAVs (micro air vehicles) with a maximal dimension of 15 cm and nominal flight speeds around 10 m/s, operate in a Reynolds number regime of 10 5 or lower, in which most natural flyers including insects, bats, and birds fly. Furthermore, due to their light weight and low flight speed, the MAVs' flight characteristics are substantially affected by environmental factors such as wind gust. In this chapter, we highlight the aerodynamics associated with biological flyers and MAVs, including fixed, rotary, and flapping wings. Topics covered include scaling‐law‐based analyses of flight characteristics, flapping kinematics, and power requirements, aerodynamic modeling of biological flight, Reynolds number effects, unsteady flapping‐wing aerodynamics, and implications on MAV design.