Design and Development of a Fixed-wing Micro Aerial Vehicle

Abstract

The objective of the project is to design, build and fly a miniature aerial vehicle capable of flying and experimenting excellent flying qualities and maneuverability in low Reynolds regime with high endurance. A fixed-wing type micro aerial vehicle using mechatronics approach is thought to achieve the requirements. In order to design the MAV the following terms were considered: high aerodynamic efficiency, low wing loading, and light weight, low altitude operation, high propeller efficiency. Trial and error has been the most effective design tool in many cases, often leading to lengthy and costly design processes. The unavailability of complete analytical methods and the computational expense of numerical methods make an empirically-based design optimization approach a practical alternative. The entire system consists of a ground remote controller-cum-transmitter and an aerial onboard flight control system which consists of a wireless receiver and control hardware for controlling servos and the motor which in turn controls the direction, orientation and thrust of the MAV in flight.