Investigation of Variable Wing-Sweep for Applications in Micro Air Vehicles

Abstract

Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) are noted for their small size and low-Reynolds number flight regime. Because they have small mass, they are attractive for use in sensing of toxic plumes. This mission requires high aerodynamic efficiency and the ability to be quickly and easily launched. A variable-sweep wing is investigated to meet these goals. Numerical simulations are used to demonstrate that sweeping the wings can provide plausible drag characteristics over a range of flight speeds. By sweeping the wing from 15◦ to 65◦, L/D is improved by a factor of 2.6 at high speeds. This is caused by a decrease in parasitic drag corresponding to increased sweep angle.