ABSTRACT Title of dissertation: An Analytical Investigation of Flapping Wing Structures for Micro Air Vehicles

An analytical model of flapping wing structures for bio-inspired micro air vehicles is presented in this dissertation. Bio-inspired micro air vehicles (MAVs) are based on insects and hummingbirds. These animals have lightweight, flexible wings that undergo large deformations while flapping. Engineering studies have confirmed that deformations can increase the lift of flapping wings. Wing flexi-bility has been studied through experimental construction-and-evaluation meth-ods and through computational numerical models. Between experimental and numerical methods there is a need for a simple method to model and evaluate the structural dynamics of flexible flapping wings. This dissertation’s analytical model addresses this need. A time-periodic assumed-modes beam analysis of a flapping, flexible wing undergoing linear deformations is developed from a beam analysis of a helicopter blade. The resultant structural model includes bending and torsion degrees of freedom. The model is non-dimensionalized. The ratio of the system’s structural natural frequency to wingbeat frequency characterizes its constant stiffness, an