Experimental analysis of the dynamics of flared folding wingtips via a novel tethered flight test

Healy, Fintan; Pontillo, Alessandro; Rezgui, Djamel; Cooper, Jonathan E; Kirk, James; Wilson, Thomas; Castrichini, Andrea

Abstract

Recent developments in morphing wing technologies are routinely tested using Unmanned Aerial vehicles (UAVs) due to their relatively low cost and time to manufacture. However, atmospheric flight tests limit both the repeatability of the recorded data sets, as well as the bounds of the flight envelope willing to be explored, due to the risk of destroying the UAV. In this paper, a novel flight test method is described, which consists of flying a UAV constrained by a tether, resulting in a steady, controlled, elliptical flight paths. The benefits of such a method are explored numerically to characterise the static and dynamic testing capabilities of such a system. This is then followed by an experimental investigation into the behaviour of semi-aeroelastic hinged (SAH) wingtips, employing the AlbatrossOne remotely piloted vehicle. The tethered model was used to explore the static effect of angle of attack and sideslip angle on the both the equilibrium position of the wingtips and the wingtips stability boundary.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Conference Name: AIAA SCITECH 2022 Forum
• Start Date: Jan 3, 2022
• End Date: Jan 7, 2022
• Acceptance Date: Dec 29, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Dec 29, 2021
• Publication Date: Dec 29, 2021
• Deposit Date: Apr 22, 2024
• Book Title: AIAA SCITECH 2022 Forum
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11888295