Insect Flight: Lift and Rate of Change of Incidence

Abstract

Large changes in lift output result when a simulated insect wing, undergoing a downstroke, is subjected to a dynamic change of incidence. Given a large positive rate of change of incidence, transient lift values several times those realized in steady-state operation at the same angle of incidence are obtained. Thus a means exists by which insects achieve several times the lift expected by conventional quasi-steady considerations.