Abstract
In this study, the effect of wing flexibility for flight stability of a hovering hawkmoth is investigated numerically. To reproduce the wing deformation, an in-house computational fluid dynamics solver was coupled with computational structural dynamics solver. Using this integrated model, we achieved analyzing of a hawkmoth's flexible wing. Additionally, to investigate the difference of stability and maneuverability between the rigid and flexible wing, the wing kinematics was altered to three cases. The wing beat cycle-averaged aerodynamic torque of pitching increased in the altered wing kinematics model and the difference of cycle-averaged aerodynamic torque of pitching between rigid and flexible wing models, was more increased in the flexible wing model. These results may help knowing how to control the artificial flyers which have flexible wings in a hovering and forward flight and other maneuverability.
