LAUSR

This paper analyzes the effect of spanwise distribution of twist angle on the forces generated by flapping wings as well as the power requirements. We consider four sample profiles of the twist angle as a function of spanwise location, and compute the forces and power requirements under non-accelerating level flight conditions. We investigate three different wing geometries, with varying wingspan and aspect ratios. It has been found that for planforms with moderate to high wingspans, a quadratic profile performs better than the constant and linear ones; whereas for planforms with smaller wingspans, a linear profile performs better than the rest. The analysis presented in this paper can be used to identify the most suitable wing twist profile as a function of the flight parameters and can be used as the basis for wing morphing.