Exploring the Potential of Morphing Wings: A Comparative Analysis of the NACA 0018 Airfoil

This research is a comparative study of the NACA 0018 airfoil, which compares the morphing mechanism against the conventional mechanism, specifically for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) use. In this research, a practical morphing wing mechanism is designed, and its coefficient of lift Cl to coefficient of drag Cd ratio is compared to that of a conventional wing mechanism by using computational fluid dynamics (XFLR5) as well as experimentally using the closed-loop wind tunnel at different flap orientations. A static structural test (SOLIDWORKS) of the proposed morphing model is conducted to determine the von Mises and displacement distribution to ensure the design will not fail and produces visible flap deflection. The morphing wing device is created based on the FishBone Active Camber (FishBAC) concept approach. The novelty of the proposed design lies in its manufacturing simplicity and low cost, as the structure is created using a single 3D-printed part with PLA+. For the skin extension, mica plastic is used with a slotted section for the mica to morph its shape. The result shows that the morphing wing performed better in generating lift compared to the conventional wing at larger values of Cd. The static structural test shows that the stress load is evenly distributed throughout and that the morphing wing produces visible flap deflection.