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Description From the earliest times, engineers have been inspired by birds as models for flight vehicles, and more specifically, shape changing or morphing flight vehicles. A common thematic element has been to gaze upon a bird and imagine \"the bird that changes into an airplane,\" and vice versa. Now that this vision is within reach, exciting research is investigating the methodologies and technologies required. Morphing Aerospace Vehicles and Structures is a synthesis of the relevant disciplines and applications involved in the morphing of fixed-wing flight vehicles. The book is organized into three major sections: Bio-inspirations; Control and Dynamics; and Smart Materials and Structures. Most chapters are both tutorial and research oriented in nature, covering elementary concepts through advanced and in many cases novel methodologies. Insightful numerical and experimental results complement the technical exposition wherever possible. To stimulate and encourage further investigation, all chapters discuss further topics for research in particular subject areas, and a summary chapter addresses broad challenges and directions for future research.

The high cost of aviation fuel has resulted in increased attention by Congress and the Air Force on improving military aircraft fuel efficiency.One action considered is modification of the aircraft's wingtip by installing, for example, winglets to reduce drag.

Model Archiving and Sustainment for Aerospace Design, written by Sean Barker, an industry veteran from the UK, focuses on the techniques developed by the LOTAR (Long Term Archiving and Retrieval) project, a collaboration among the major US and European aerospace companies. Long-term archiving models follows LOTAR by taking the exchange of mechanical CAD fi le as the paradigm for long-term retention and developing general principles for model archiving. These include electrical systems, composite parts, systems engineering and requirementsengineering. The increasing availability of model-based software has made the problems of long-term model sustainment more visible and pressing for a solution. Industries following LOTAR today include aerospace, automotive, nuclear and ship building. In the aerospace sector, the challenges are even bigger. Model Archiving and Sustainment for Aerospace Design makes sense of the immense challenges of rapid software change to ensure that the aircraft can be profitably sustained for the next seventy years.

This research investigates the role of dimples in enhancing the aerodynamic characteristics of a Blended-Wing-Body (BWB) airframe. Numerical simulations, grounded in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), were utilized to model turbulent airflow and assess the aerodynamic forces acting on the wing structure. The k-ω Shear-Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model was applied to effectively solve the governing equations. The impact of four dimple indentation depths ( d/D d  = 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, and 0.1) at six specific locations on either the suction or pressure sides of the BWB wing surface was investigated. Simulations were performed at Mach 0.15 and Mach 0.6, treating the flow as incompressible and compressible, respectively, to capture variations in aerodynamic behavior. The evaluation involved analyzing the drag coefficient ( C D ), lift coefficient ( C L ), and lift-to-drag ( L/D ) ratio. The results reveal that, under optimal conditions, a dimpled BWB surface can achieve a reduction in C D by as much as 4.09% relative to a non-modified surface, without negatively impacting lift. This improvement is primarily due to the dimples’ capacity to maintain attached flow and postpone flow separation. Implementing dimples on the BWB wing surface as a passive flow control method has proven effective in enhancing the aerodynamic efficiency of lifting surfaces.

The implementation of morphing wing applications in aircraft design has sparked significant interest as it enables the dimensional properties of the aircraft to be modified during flight. By allowing manipulation of the 2D and 3D parameters on the aircraft’s wings, tail surfaces, or fuselage, a variety of possibilities have arisen. Two primary schools of thought have emerged in the field of morphing wing applications: the mechanisms school and the smart surfaces approach that uses shape-memory materials and smart actuators. Among the research in this field, the Fishbone Active Camber (FishBAC) approach has emerged as a promising avenue for controlling the deflection of the wing’s trailing edge. This study revisits previous research on morphing wings and the FishBAC concept, evaluates the current state of the field, and presents an original design process flow that includes the design of a unique and innovative UAV called the Stingray within the scope of the study. A novel morphing concept developed for the Stingray UAV, Rear Spar Articulated Wing Camber (RSAWC), employs a fishbone-like morphing wing rib design with rear spar articulation in a cost-effective manner. The design process and flight tests of the RSAWC are presented and directly compared with a conventional wing. Results are evaluated based on performance, weight, cost, and complexity. Semi-empirical data from the flight testing of the concept resulted in approximately a 19% flight endurance increment. The study also presents future directions of research on the RSAWC concept to guide the researchers.

Flapping wings present a promising approach to harnessing energy from fluid flow by leveraging a synchronized pitching and heaving motion of the airfoil. The impact of modifying the leading and trailing edge shapes of a flapping wing on energy harvesting performance is investigated using sinusoidal pitching motion. The pitch angle varies between 80° and 90°. The wing thickness (T1) varies from 8% to 48% of the chord length, with a flat plate chord length of c = 1.0. A promising airfoil profile is achieved by increasing only the leading-edge thickness to 32% of the chord, significantly enhancing energy capture by improving the generation of pushing forces and power. The results show that a wing configuration with a semicircular leading edge and a rectangular trailing edge outperforms the baseline case (a rectangular flat plate) and all other configurations under the same conditions. This configuration shows a notable improvement in power output and efficiency at a pitch angle of 85° and a leading-edge thickness of 32% of the chord. The maximum power output (Cpt) represents a 16.73% increase over the baseline, while the maximum efficiency (η) reflects a 12.77% improvement. These findings highlight the superior energy extraction performance of the new configuration, emphasizing the dominant role of the leading edge in enhancing energy harvesters compared to the trailing edge.

A real-time structural health monitoring (SHM) system of an airplane composite wing with adjustable damage is reported, where testing under realistic flight conditions is carried out in the controllable and repeatable environment of an industrial wind tunnel. An FBG-based sensing array monitors a debonded region, whose compromised structural strength is regained by a set of lockable fasteners. Damage tunability is achieved by loosening some of or all these fasteners. Real-time analysis of the data collected involves Principal Component Analysis, followed by Hotelling’s T-squared and Q measures. With previously set criteria, real-time data collection and processing software can declare the structural health status as normal or abnormal. During testing, the system using the Q measure successfully identified the initiation of the damage and its extent, while the T-squared one returned limited outcomes.

This paper explores unconventional configurations of rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), focusing on designs that transcend the limitations of traditional ones. Through innovative rotor arrangements, refined airframe structures, and novel flight mechanisms, these advanced designs aim to significantly enhance performance, versatility, and functionality. Rotary-wing UAVs that deviate markedly from conventional models in terms of mechanical topology, aerodynamic principles, and movement modalities are rigorously examined. These unique UAVs are categorized into four distinct groups based on their mechanical configurations and dynamic characteristics: (1) UAVs with tilted or tiltable propellers, (2) UAVs featuring expanded mechanical structures, (3) UAVs with morphing multirotor capabilities, and (4) UAVs incorporating groundbreaking aerodynamic concepts. This classification establishes a structured framework for analyzing the advancements in these innovative designs. Finally, key challenges identified in the review are summarized, and corresponding research outlooks are derived to guide future development in rotary-wing drone technology.