Aerodynamic and Static Aeroelastic Characteristics of a Variable-Span Morphing Wing

Abstract

The morphing concept for unmanned aerial vehicles is a topic of current research interest in aerospace engineering. One concept of morphing is to change the wing configuration during flight to allow for multiple flight regimes. A particular approach to planform morphing is a variable-span morphing wing to increase wingspan to reduce induced drag and increase range and endurance. The wing area and the aspect ratio of the variable-span morphing wing increase as the wingspan increases. This means that the total lift increases while the induced drag is reduced, whereas the wing-root bending moment increases, thus, requiring a larger bending stiffness of the wing structure. Therefore, a study of the variable-span morphing wing requires not only aerodynamic analysis but also an investigation of the aeroelastic characteristics of the wing. The aerodynamic characteristics of the variable-span morphing wing are investigated, and a static aeroelastic analysis is performed.