Delfly Flex: a flapping wing micro air vehicle with a bio-inspired unibody composed of compliant joints

through tethered experiments measuring force and moment generation. The results show thrust generation and yaw moment arms equivalent to its predecessor, while the pitch moment arm is approximately 50% smaller due to the concentrated mass distribution inherent to the unibody design. Free-flight experiments further validate the concept, demonstrating controlled pitch and yaw maneuvers enabled by compliant beams as thin as 0.4 mm. Combined with simplified assembly and more than 10% mass reduction, this unibody concept opens pathways toward future designs with increased deformability and expanded control authority. Overall, this study highlights the synergy between aero-mechanical design and additive manufacturing, achieving enhanced body intelligence through insect-thorax-inspired FWMAV structures.