Modeling of dive maneuvers in flapping wing unmanned aerial vehicles

For certain autonomous applications, flapping wing unmanned air vehicles (FWUAVs) provide a desirable balance between fixed wing and rotary air vehicles because they are fast, quiet, and maneuverable. Combined with autonomous stabilization and navigation, these platforms have the potential to allow close up chemical and visual inspections of areas using a dive maneuver. FWUAVs are good platforms for this task because they use limited wing motion and do not have to utilize propellers and rotors that would disturb the surrounding air. In this work, the diving behavior of a FWUAV is characterized and modelled. This model is then used in real time during flight to project dive paths and trigger an autonomous dive to descend to inspect an area.