Design & development of a dragon flapper

This project presents the development and the new features that can be implemented on a Micro air vehicle. We know that flappers are the most appropriate imitation of the natural flight of a bird or any air borne species. This project features about a dragon fly inspired flapping wing MAV with a wing span of 28cms which will be using the clap and fling mechanism and weighing 26.5 grams in total including primary parts like battery, micro motor and other micro controllers. The primary objective that is fulfilled using the model is the real time surveillance that can be attained easily which can be used during war for spying and other emergency situations. The design of this model also allows swapping of a particular wing model with another one making it more susceptible for higher stabilities providing variations wherever necessary with multiple wing configurations. The common problem of stability in MAV of this present generation are addressed in this current MAV by housing a low weight composite tail plane structure for added stability during flight which is well complimented with a light weight body. A real time micro camera weighing around 2–3 grams is incorporated into this model which provides real time footage which can be of great use in rescue operations and emergency conditions. The low weight and the flexible mechanism allows the vehicle to achieve a wider range of manoeuvres providing a decent endurance without compromising on the performance characteristics which is one of the other objectives of this work.