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Design and Model Construction of a Flapping Wing UAV Ornithopter

Conference Paper · December 2016

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 International Conference on Mechanical, Industrial and Energy Engineering 2016
26-27 December, 2016, Khulna, BANGLADESH

ICMIEE-PI-160138

Design and Model Construction of a Flapping Wing UAV Ornithopter

Md. Nazmul Hasan*, Fuad Hasan Sabbir, Golam Md. Mortuza, Md. Enamul Haque
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Khulna-9203, BANGLADESH

ABSTRACT
The present world has reached to a stage where most of the sophisticated and sensitive tasks are mostly done by artificial
hands. Drones, robots have been replaced the place of human with their uncompromised accuracy and efficiencies. We are
concentrating on the aerial vehicles; want to integrate our ideas and work to develop a new type of flight system to improve
the control and maneuvering abilities of flying UAVs or drones. Our logic is nothing can fly efficient as the birds do. So
copying from the flying behavior of it, is possible to gain all the abilities like the bird. In the present work, a model is
developed which flaps its wings in fixed amplitude with variable frequencies. A crank shaft mechanism is introduced to
drive the wings. The model is powered by a 100 watt dc motor with necessary gearbox assemblies. The controlling and
maneuvering have been done by a radio communication and bird like tail consequently. 3 channel radio communication is
needed to control the flapping frequency and tail combinations. Flying upward, downward, left, right and 360 degree rolling
is possible with this tail combination. Micro servo motors were used for tail mechanism.

Keywords: UAV, Flapping Wing, Gearbox, Crank-shaft, Frequency.

1. Introduction tasks including systems monitoring and surveillance

Natural fliers like birds and insects have captivated the
minds of human inventors through history. The vehicles
which fly by flapping their wings is simply known as
ornithopter. Ornithopter came from the Greek word
―ornithos‖ means ―bird" and ―pteron‖ means “wing”.
It is an aircraft that flies by flapping its wings. The first
ornithopter was constructed in France by Jobert in 1871
and was rubber band powered [1]. Though in case of
efficiency, modern aircraft design is the best for steady
flight but it sacrifices maneuverability on the hidden
part. Biomimetic flapping vehicle’s flight is mostly
unsteady but comes up with a higher resolution of
maneuverability which can be seen in birds or insects.
Within a few area it can fly upward and downward, can
perform vertical flight and can soar. At present there are
fixed wing and rotor wing vehicles. Those are not
capable with all these capabilities all along. For cruise
flight airplane is best. For vertical take-off we built
choppers. But birds fly in combination with a motion of
vertical flap, a horizontal motion and a torsion motion
[2]. Although the exact modeling of flapping flight
couldn’t be developed for its complexity but researchers
were partially able to find the codes on how bird
manage its horizontal and vertical required forces to fly
in steady state. It was observed that in low Reynold’s
number it is efficient to build a vehicle like an insect
shaped with their characteristic flight [4]. But there are
many difficulties in building an efficient flapping
mechanism and fabrication of biomimetic wings due to
the limitations and materials. Interest in the design and
control of ornithopters has grown in recent years as
interest has grown in the area of Micro Aerial Vehicles
or MAVs. These small flying machines have struck the
imaginations of many as ideal platforms for a variety of
where a swarm of tiny agents would be unobtrusive and
have better access to confined areas than larger flying
vehicles.
2. Mathematical Expression of Aerodynamic Forces
A flapping UAV is a flight vehicle which generates
aerodynamic forces and moments to fly. The flexibility
of wings contributes to gaining sufficient lift and thrust.
Even for the design of small flapping UAV, there are
too many design parameters including wing geometry,
wing kinematics, and wing structural dynamics. It is not
yet clear of each parameter’s effects in the total
aerodynamics of a model. The present work was begun
with the main fundamental forces which must be
balanced for the flight. Four forces act directly on a
flying model. These are lift force, drag force, thrust
force and weight of the bird. Lift is the function of the
air density, the square of the velocity, the air's viscosity
and compressibility, the surface area over which the air
flows, the body shape, and the wing angle to the flow.
Fig.1 Lift generation technique of a typical airfoil
The relation between wing size and lift L is
Lift ∝ Wing surface area

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +88-01920603484

E-mail address: nhmoon451@gmail.com
The relationship between lift and airspeed is less
straight forward. We need to find first the
amount of airflow around the wing first. The mass flow
of air around the wing first. The mass
flow of air around a wing is proportional to the airspeed
V times the air density d. Now using
Newton’s 2nd law of motion, we can find the force
caused by airflow and that is V.d.V.
Since bird’s wings has to support its weight against the
gravitational force lift must be equal the
weight W. So the final relationship becomes
(1)
Here 0.3 is the constant related to the angle of attack for
cruise flight. Its average value is 6o. If the equation is
modified like below,
(2)
The wing loading is found. Here W/S is the wing
loading from which we can understand that higher the
wing loading, faster the bird must fly to overcome its
weight force (gravity).J. Oliver Linton used the formula
of lift force in his paper is
(3)
Where,
S=Area of the wing; ρ=Density of air; V=velocity of
wing. =Lift co-efficient and critically varies with
angle of attack
is approximately equal to 5 and α measured in
radians.
Finally, the mean lift force from his became,
Mean lift = (4)
Note: β represents angle of attack, S is the wing area, ρ
is density of air and V is the wing speed through the air.
The standard value of air density was taken 1.3kg/m3.
The equation of β in term of bird’s mass is
(5)
Here M is the bird’s mass; g stands for gravitational
acceleration and is the glide ratio.The formula of
thrust generation is,
Mean thrust = (6)
Here, σ = Strouhal Number. For cruising flight value is
0.2.
The power equation is simply (thrust*speed). Therefore,
Power = (7)
Like lift, drag is proportional to dynamic pressure and
the area on which it acts. The drag coefficient,
analogous to the lift co-efficient, is a measure of the
amount of dynamic pressure gets converted into drag.
Drag = (8)
3. Wing Geometry and Construction
A wing span of 140cm was chosen for the model and
the area was kept sufficiently bigger. Because it was
uncertain whether the flight speed of the model would
be enough to generate minimum lift force to overcome
the weight without experimental results. The wings have
a triangular support structure. A main spar runs along
the leading edge of the wing and a strut connects from
the rear of the ornithopter's body to a point near the tip
of the main spar. From this strut there are several
smaller steel rods that project to the edge of the wing
which are somewhat free to move. This results in a
fanning motion from the trailing edge of the wing that
produces a component of thrust while the leading edge
is flapping up and down which directly contributes to a
part of the lift in addition to the conventional lift coming
from airflow over the wing. Flexible diagonal bracing
was introduced by Percival Spencer. The torsion flexing
of the wing can be controlled by adding a diagonal
brace. However, the brace must be flexible enough to
conform to the conic shape that the wing should have
under load. If the bracing rods are too stiff, they will
cause a discontinuity in the cambered cross-section of
the wing, making the airfoil less efficient. Sometimes a
more rigid brace is used, but it should be confined to a
small portion of the wing. To give the system a better
stability and because of other structural limitations,
upstroke and down stroke angles were limited in such a
way that it had an average dihedral angle of 5°.
Upstroke angle was kept at 35° which is bigger than the
down stroke angle of 25°. So the total flapping
amplitude becomes 60° and 5 degree stroke angle
difference gives 5 degree average dihedral angle. The
goal was to go for an average and positive dihedral
effect. Parasite cloth was used to build the wing. For the
wing stiffeners 3mm stainless steel rods were used.
Fig.2 A semi span image of wings
ICMIEE-PI-160138 -2
3.1 Gear Mechanism
The most important part of the model is the gearbox.
Four spur gears are designed to transmit the
power from motor to crank shaft. First one is
connected to the motor shaft. It rotates at the same rpm
of motor. It has 10 teeth and is 10 mm wide. In a
gearbox the gears will mesh if they have same diametral
pitch (DP) and pressure angle. In this case for every
gear diameter pitch is 20 and pressure angle is 20. The
second and fourth gear is of 40 teeth and is 10 mm wide.
Properties of third gear is same as the first one. For all
the gears nominal shaft diameter is 3.18 mm. Fig.4 Structural Model

3.2 Calculation of power transmission through gears

There is no definite theory or formula to find the exact
power of motor which will make the ornithopter fly.
Experimentally it is proved that if the power is 4-10 Hz
then the ornithopter can fly (for total weight up to 4 kg).
The standard value for flying with 1-4 kg weight is 5-7
Hz. The power will be 540 revolution per minute (for 9
Hz).
When the ornithopter flies, the wings remove a certain
amount of air to flap. Motor gives power to the wings
through the crank shaft. The motor of particular power
may not be found. If the power of the motor is 800 rpm
and the voltage is 11.1 volt, it is high enough to break
Fig.3 Gear Box other parts like wings, main body etc. So the rpm needs
to be reduced. That is why gearbox is needed to change
Table 1 Properties of the gears the rpm.

Root Nominal Diamet Pressure Table 3 Specification of gears

Outside eral Angle
Nam Teet Diamet Shaft
Diameter Pitch
e h er Diameter Diameteral Width
(mm)
(mm) (mm)
No of No of Pitch (mm)
Gear 20 20 gear teeth (D.P)
10 8.59 11.43 3.18
01
Gear 20 20
40 23.83 26.67 3.18 01 10 20 10
02
Gear 20 20 02 40 20 20
10 8.59 11.43 3.18
03 03 10 20 20
Gear 20 20
40 23.83 26.67 3.18 04 40 20 20
04

Table 2 Measurement of length, width, surface area and Using gearbox rpm can be reduced. Dividing input rpm
weight by the gear ratio, output rpm can be reduced.
Gear ratio=
Surface Weight
Name Length Width Here,
No Area in CAD
(Material) (mm) (mm)
(cm2) (gm.) Speed of the motor= 800 rpmVoltage= 11.1 V
Main body Input speed or the speed of first gear = 800×11.1= 8880
1 470 100 774 52.82
(Balsa Wood) rpm
Wing (each) 745 380 For the first two gear,
2 (Carbon Rod, (Maxim (Maxi 4696.48 56.39
Plastic) um) mum)
The gear ratio is = =4
Wing Holder Speed of the second gear= = 2280 rpm
3 20 20 - 2.1
(Nylon) Speed of the third gear =2280 rpm
Tail 270 270 For the last two gear,
4 (Carbon Rod, (Maxim (Maxi 491.53 5.2 The gear ratio is = =4
Plastic) um) mum)
Gears (4) Speed of the fourth gear= = 555 rpm
5 - - - 94.5
(Nylon) From the calculation it is found that the output rpm of

ICMIEE-PI-160138 -3
the fourth gear will be 555 rpm which is close enough Fig.5 Crank-shaft Mechanism
of 540 rpm.

3.3 Frame Construction

The main frame holds wings, gear assemblies, electrical
system, radio receiver and tail components. Glass fiber
or carbon fiber plate is perfect for this build. But as
these parts are not yet available in Bangladesh and
overseas order take a longer period of time to delivery
and not cost effective, plywood frame was used as a
replacement of that material. But it has a downside. All
the gear assemblies need a strong as well as light frame
to handle the tremendous vibrations of a 100W motor
and gear train. Plywood is not that type though it is
ultra-light weight. Drilling in plywood is not possible as Fig.6 Gear Mechanism
the wood is not so dense and cutting the wood requires
special machines. Even hacksaw is not appropriate tool
for that job. A 5mm thick plywood frame was used
which was cut according to our design purpose with
plywood cutter and to hold gear axels and bearings a
thin layer of tin was glued with adhesive. This thin layer
can provide additional strength to the frame and
improves the tolerance or temper. Two small plywood
pieces was used to hold the gear axels from the both
side of the frame. The motor was mounted with frame
with screws and the drive pinion was linked with the
gear train. Bearings with axels are used to avoid
frictional energy lose and noise reduction. Bearings are
placed in plywood with adhesive in perfect alignment.
The wing spars are linked with the body with strong
hinges to tolerate the strong jerks and wing momentum.
To handle large amount of torque the joints should be Fig.7 The model
also strong. The frame’s one side was cut according to
the design specific angle of attack. And there are points 4. Applications
to stick the wing film with the frame. The batten rods Practical applications back on the similarity to fowls
have the connectivity with the main frame also. A 3D either bugs. The Colorado Division of Wildlife has
image of the frame can describe the whole story very applied those devices to aid retain the imperiled species,
clearly. To give the UAV a bird looking the frame shape endangered Gunnison Sage Grouse. A contrived hawk
was cut similar to the appearance of a bird. Super glue, under the command of an operative triggers the Grouse
metal solution, nuts and bolts, tin sheet, paper cutter to stay on the terrain thus they may be caught for
were used to make the frame for the ornithopter. research. In 2002, Krister Wolff and Peter Nordin of
Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, built a
flapping-wing robot that learned flight techniques.
Because ornithopters may be produced to look like
fowls either bugs, they might be applied aimed at army
applications, such like in air investigation short of
alerting the opponents that they are under observation.
In 2008, Schiphol Airport started using a realistic-
looking mechanical hawk designed by falconer Robert
Musters. The radio-controlled robot bird is used to scare
away birds that could damage the engines of airplanes
[8].
In March 2011, scientists and engineers at the Festo
Bionic Learning Network introduced a robotic smart
Bird, based on the motion of a seagull. The Smart Bird
weighs only 450 grams and is controlled by a radio
handset. On video, its flight appears remarkably realistic
[9]. In 2014, Clear Flight Solutions, a spin-off of the
University of Twente, started making artificial birds of
prey (called Robird) for airports as well as the
ICMIEE-PI-160138 -4
 agricultural and waste-management industry [10]. It
could be used for military applications, such as
espionage, spying without alerting the enemies that they
are under surveillance.
5. Conclusion
Building a flying UAV is always a matter of great
challenge and interest. More laboratory tools and set-
ups are required for this. Because the measurements of
lifts and drag forces, observing the aerodynamics of the
object can be a matter of great fun. But not having
perfect or standard lab setup for this types of
experiments is absolutely funny. What is happing to the
air cannot be observed without a wind-tunnel.
Ornithopter’s efficiency and use of it is still now in
experimental level and living in thoughts of the
enthusiasts and hobbyists. Articulated flying models are
coming out now. Everyone should realize that this is
just another way of flying. This world is advanced in
flight systems a lot but we must remember that though
we are superior in building attractive flying models, we
are far more behind from copying the flight technique of
a fly catcher. And for drone applications
maneuverability is a great concern always. It can be
ignored for passenger flying vehicles considering many
reasons behind. But for drone applications with
matching operational purpose this fake birds can be a
deadly weapon.
Artificially Intelligent, 3rd September 2003, 12th
July2014.
[7] Smart Bird – bird flight deciphered‖, Date of
access: 12th July 2104.
[8] J. J. Zachary, Design and Construction of an
Autonomous Ornithopter, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, June 2009.
[9] H. H. Jae, S. L Jun, K. K. Dae Bio-inspired
Flapping UAV Design: A University Perspective,
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and System
Engineering, Division of Aerospace Engineering,
KAIST, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea;
Satellite Control System Department, Satellite
Technology Division, Korea Aerospace Research
Institute, Daejeon 305- 333, Republic of Korea.
[10] Pennycuick C. J. Predicting wing beat frequency
and wave length of birds, Department of Biology,
University of Miami, POBox249118, Coral
Gables, FL33124, USA. (1990).
[11] RC LEBANON, ―Guide to li-po batteries‖, 11th
August,2014;http://www.rclebanon.com/page/guid
e-to-lipo-batteries.

NOMENCLATURE

= Lift co-efficient;
= Lift force;
S = Area of the wing;
= Glide ratio;
β = Angle of attack

REFERENCES
[1] Robyn Lynn Harmon. Aerodynamic modeling of a
flapping membrane wing using motion tracking
experiments. Master’s thesis, University of
Maryland, 2008.

[2] Pennycuick C.J (2007), Modelling The Flying

Bird, Elsevier, Bristol.

[3] H. P. Joon, J.Y. Kwang, Designing a Biomimetic

Ornithopter Capable of Sustained and Controlled
Flight, Journal of Bionic Engineering, Volume 5,
Issue 1, March 2008, Pages 39-47
[4] Chronister Nathan, ―Manned Ornithopter
Flights‖, 12th July 2014
http://ornithopter.org/history.full.shtml

[5] Insectothopter Robotic Dragonfly CIA Tech From

1970s‖ 2nd October2011, 12th July 2104
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-
News.asp?NewsNum=3205

[6] Madan, ―Mechanical flying Machine‖, Invobot:

ICMIEE-PI-160138 -5

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