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

Chapter 2.0 Entomopter Configuration and Operation
2.2 Entomopter Morphology and Function
vector on the inboard section of the wing for at least a portion of the upbeat. The interstitial
material between the wing spars serves as the aerodynamic lifting surface and the wing relies on
the compliance of this material to give it a specific form under load. This is depicted in
Figure 2-3.
Figure 2-3: Lift Vectors on the Upthrust and Down Thrust Wing Halves
Circulation-controlled airfoil development work conducted for NASA generated positive lift
measured at very large negative angles of attack (approaching -70 o ) and produced by very high
supercirculation caused by the trailing edge circulation controlled blowing.
Coupling the deformation of the wing on the upstroke with intelligent application of circulation
control will allow lift to be generated not only on the entire downbeat but on the upbeat as well,
resulting in an efficiency greater than that of a conventional insect wing. Beyond the upbeat lift
that can be created, the overall coefficient of lift (C L ) of the wings can be augmented by pneumatic
blowing to achieve values that are five to eight times higher than the theoretical maximum
achievable by a typical wing platform and camber (which for most fixed wings has a C L of one
or less).
Because of the latency in transmissions between Mars and Earth, teleoperation of an aerial Mars
surveyor is impractical. Even supervised autonomy is of limited value. A an aerial Mars surveyor
will have to be able to carry out its science mission without human intervention while
being ever cognizant of its environment to assure that it avoids obstacles, hazards, and situations
that would result in starvation.
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