From conventional to bioinspired: Evolution of tail surface designs in micro air vehicles

The paper presents the evolution of the tail surface design of a micro air vehicle based on adaptive wing geometry. The initial prototype was conceived as a tailless aircraft geometry, waiting for future innovations and stability augmentations. An initial experimental test bench will be presented to characterize the variation of wing profile curvature as a function of the voltage, through MFC actuators. Once these results have been analyzed, the process of conceiving a conventional T-tail was initiated, ultimately evolving toward the proposal of a bioinspired tail based on the tail shape of various birds. The results obtained in wind tunnel tests using PIV techniques will be presented. The results validate the selected tail surface design as an appropriate geometry for a bioinspired micro air vehicle. • Evolution of Tail Designs from an initial tailless design to conventional T-tail configuration and finally to bioinspired tails based on bird shapes. • Use of Smart Materials: The initial MAV prototype utilized Macro Fiber Composites (MFC) to dynamically modify the wing camber. • Bioinspired Tail Design: The study developed and tested bioinspired tails, based on bird tails, and, finally, finding that the Horizontal-Squared-Fan (HSF) stabilizer offered higher aerodynamic performance. • Experimental and Computational Validation: Extensive wind tunnel tests and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) techniques, coordinated with Computational Fluid Dynamics, were used to validate the aerodynamic characteristics of each tail design. • Implications for MAV Design: The research suggests that bioinspired tail designs can significantly enhance MAV performance.