Interest in micro-aerial vehicles (MAVs) has proliferated in the last decade. But making these aircraft fly is more complicated than simply shrinking airplane designs. At smaller sizes and lower speeds, an airplane’s Reynolds number is smaller, too, and it behaves aerodynamically differently. The photo above shows the upper surface of a low Reynolds number airfoil that’s been treated with oil for flow visualization. The flow in the photo is from left to right. On the left side, the air has flowed in a smooth and laminar fashion over the first 35% of the wing, as seen from the long streaks of oil. In the middle, though, the oil is speckled, which indicates that air hasn’t been flowing over it–the flow has separated from the surface, leaving a bubble of slowly recirculating air next to the airfoil. Further to the right, about 65% of the way down the wing, the flow has reattached to the airfoil, driving the oil to either side and creating the dark line seen in the image. Such flow separation and reattachment is common for airfoils at these scales, and the loss of lift (and of control) this sudden change can cause is a major challenge for MAV designers. (Image credit: M. Selig et al.)
The Challenges of Micro Air Vehicles
