This study aims to design and test some fixed-wing micro aerial vehicles (MAV).

    Design/methodology/approach

    The MAV wing planform in this study was designed based on previous results and the need to reduce the weight of the MAV. The MAV had a wing planform with a 6 percent Gottingen-329 camber airfoil, a 20° swept-back leading edge and a straight trailing edge. The fuselage was designed to contain a motor, an electronic control system and a video camera with a built-in transmitter. The battery was located outside the fuselage to trim the center of gravity and enable the battery to be changed easily when it has run out. Two exaggerated vertical stabilizers were installed to prevent the MAV from rolling. The materials, the power plant and the electronics used to fabricate the MAV herein were either the lightest or the smallest from that could be obtained off-the-shelf. Since, MAVs should be expendable, the cost was kept under US$250 (including the cost of an onboard video camera system, which costs US$170).

    Findings

    Flight tests were performed following fabrication. The MAV was launched by hand, flew within a radius of 30 ∼ 50 m, and eventually glided to a grassy ground. The flight was stable and the quality of the downlink video was acceptable for surveillance purpose. The MAVs presented in this work were proven to have successful designs.

    Originality/value

    MAVs were successfully designed herein based on previous results. The materials and the fabrication processes were carefully selected and tested, to keep the mass of a flyable MAV under 65 g, while ensuring it has sufficient structural strength. The cost was reduced to US$250, making the MAV truly expendable.


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    Title :

    Design and testing of fixed-wing MAVs


    Contributors:
    Lin, Jih-Lung (author) / Wei, Chin-Yi (author) / Lin, Chi-Yu (author)

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    2007-07-10


    Size :

    6 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English




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