Aeroservoelastic Multifidelity Design of Biomimetic Aircraft (AMuBA)

NASA has been investigating morphing aircraft for multi-mission capabilities and performance improvements in existing fixed-wing aircraft. In addition, the design of aeroelastic aircraft that can control the structural flexibility to their advantage, is an open area of research and development. In spite of the plethora of work on morphing aircraft and long slender wings, the goal of fielding such systems still seems elusive. In particular, the integration of these technologies for breakthroughs in performance, has not been demonstrated. To address this need, our team is developing morphing concepts using inflatable muscles that will allow seamless aerodynamic transitions. A formal design of such aircraft, integrating aeroservoelastic considerations and high-fidelity structural optimization, will be accomplished. We will also develop the associated aeroservoelastic controllers that can maintain stability over the entire flight envelope, without substantially sacrificing performance