Force Measurements On A Scaled Mechanical Model Of Dragonfly In Forward Flight

A dynamically scaled flapping-wing model has been developed to investigate the aerodynamic phenomena and flight performance of insect-scale flapping wings. The mechanism consists of two wings, each having 3 rotational degrees of freedom, mounted on a linear stage to permit translation in a fluid-filled tank. Each wing is equipped with a sensor for instantaneous measurement of the time-varying forces and torques. The setup permits one wing to be designated as the forewing and the other as the hindwing so that interactions between them can be analysed to understand flight for four-winged insects. The apparatus is versatile enough to explore a range of wing morphologies as well as operational wing trajectory parameters.