Development of a meso-scale cycloidal-rotor aircraft for micro air vehicle application. Issue 3 (September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shrestha, Elena; Yeo, Derrick; Benedict, Moble; Chopra, Inderjit
• Other Names: de Croon Guido guest-editor.; Lin Feng guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: International journal of micro air vehicles. Volume 9:Issue 3(2017)
• Page Start: 218
• Page End: 231
• Publication Date: 2017-09
• Subjects: Cyclocopter -- cyclogyro -- cyclorotor -- cycloidal rotor -- Micro air vehicle -- MAV -- meso-scale; Aerosonde (Drone aircraft) -- Periodicals; Aerospace engineering -- Periodicals; Aerosonde (Drone aircraft); Aerospace engineering; Periodicals; 623.746905
• DOI: 10.1177/1756829317702048
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1756-8293

Abstract

This paper describes the design, controls system development, and hover testing of a 60 -g meso-scale cycloidal-rotor based (cyclocopter) micro air vehicle. The cycloidal rotor (cyclorotor) is a revolutionary vertical take-off and landing concept with a horizontal axis of rotation. The twin-cyclocopter utilizes two optimized cyclorotors and a horizontal tail rotor used to counteract the pitching moment generated by the cyclorotors. An innovative light-weight and high strength-to-weight ratio blade design significantly reduced cyclorotor weight and improved aerodynamic efficiency. In addition, increasing the virtual camber and incidence (by increasing chord-to-radius ratio) and using a symmetric pitching schedule with a maximum ± 45° pitching amplitude also improved rotor efficiency. Due to gyroscopic coupling and inherent instability of the cyclocopter, a closed-loop feedback control system was implemented using a custom autopilot weighing 1.5 g. The 60-g meso-scale twin-cyclocopter successfully demonstrated stable, sustained hover.