A THEORY FOR ANALYZING THE FLAP MOTION OF WINGS OF SMALL FLYING ELEMENTS DRIVEN BY A MAGNETIC TORQUE

A theory for analyzing the flap motion of wings of small flying elemen ts driven by an alternating magnetic field was developed. The elements have the combined wings which are composed of magnetic and polyimide sheets connected with hinges. Motion equations of wings were obtained by examining the losses of flap motion of wings in detail. They were s olved numerically, and the results were studied with experimental ones . The analytical results coincide very well with the experimental ones : the difference between the theoretical and experimental results was evaluated to be less than 17 degrees in terms of the elevation angle o f wings. This suggests that the theory developed here is useful for de termining the motion of wings and hence for designing the elements wit h optimal structures for flying.