Abstract
In this study, we evaluated the morphing effectiveness of a proposed twist morphing structure through a twisting experiment and a wind tunnel test. The key aspects of the study are as follows: (i) we proposed and fabricated a twist morphing structure with a skin part; (ii) we confirmed that the specimen could be twisted according to the target twist distribution under wind loads (wind speed was about 12m s⁄ speed). Furthermore, the specimen could be twisted regardless of the twisting direction, and the maximum error of the twisting angle was 18.1% at the wing tip; and (iii) we collected aerodynamic data, and calculated aerodynamic coefficients for each angle of attack. The results reveal the proposed structure can contribute to the enhancement of flight performance by twisting itself. This indicates that the proposed twist morphing structure, in which a double cylindrical tube is applied to a spar is effective in terms of structural mechanics and aerodynamics.
