Aerodynamic Evaluation of Flapping Wings with Leading-Edge Twisting.

The purpose of the current study is to emphasize the characteristics and phenomena of leading-edge twisting in flapping wing vehicles. A fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing method is applied to develop the flapping mechanisms with bevel gears to achieve the leading-edge twisting. Three flapping mechanisms were developed, including simple flapping only (type-A1: normal servo mechanism), flapping with continuous leading-edge twisting (type-B: servo-bevel gear mechanism), and flapping with restricted leading-edge twisting via mechanical stoppers (type-B1: servo-bevel gear mechanism with adjustable mechanical stoppers).