INFLUENCE OF REINFORCED TRAILING EDGE ON FLAPPING WING AERODYNAMIC FORCE AND DEFORMATION

The deformation of the flapping wing is closely related to its lift and thrust. The influence of trailing edge stiffness of flapping wing on aerodynamic performance and deformation has not been deeply studied. In this paper, two different forms of flapping wings are studied experimentally. Wing deformation, including spanwise bend, spanwise twist, and trailing edge deflection deformation, was measured to compare the influence of reinforced wing on deformation. More thrust is generated by the wing with a reinforced trailing edge. The amplitude of the leading edge deflection of the strengthened wing is larger than that of the unreinforced wing. The average twist angle distribution is changed by the reinforced wing, and the average twist angle near the wing tip is smaller than that of the unreinforced wing. The change degree of the trailing edge deflection of the reinforced wing is faster.