Ornithopter modeling for flight simulation

This paper presents the flight simulation of flapping-wing air vehicles (ornithopters) based on a refined flapping-wing aerodynamic model; the modified strip theory (MST). Compared with conventional types of micro air vehicles (MAVs), flapping MAVs show more complicated flight behaviors due to their complex wing motions and aerodynamics. In this paper, a flight dynamic model of an ornithopter is presented to analyze its stability and controllability. This paper focuses on the stabilization and path-following control of the ornithopter by adjusting the flapping frequency and tail-wingpsilas elevation angle. In spite of its nonlinear and complex behavior, controlling the tail-wing pitch angle can be effective for the stabilization in longitudinal motion of the ornithopter.