Phase II Final Report - NASA's Institute for Advanced Concepts

Chapter 2.0 Entomopter Configuration and Operation
2.1 Introduction
Chapter 2.0 Entomopter Configuration and
Operation
2.1 Introduction
The basic terrestrial Entomopter configuration is applicable to Mars flight if properly scaled.
The terrestrial Entomopter having a wing-span of approximately 15 cm operates in the same
Reynolds number regime in the lower Mars atmosphere as a scaled up Entomopter with wing
span of approximately 92 cm. In both cases, the Entomopter has a twin wing configuration in
which the wings flap 180° out of phase at a constant autonomic rate. On Earth, this flapping frequency
ranges between 25 and 30 Hz.
The Entomopter-based Mars Flyer is assumed to scale proportionately for the purpose of this
analysis. The basic Entomopter is shown in Figure 2-1.
Figure 2-1: Entomopter-based Mars Flyer Configuration
2.2 Entomopter Morphology and Function
Currently several leg configurations exist for the terrestrial Entomopter, depending upon its mission.
Long unjointed legs have been designed for positioning of sensors after landing, whereas
short cilia-like legs are envisioned for locomotion through highly restricted areas, such as conduits
and pipes. The use of longer legs for the Mars Flyer is expected; however this is a subject
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