Design and Aerodynamic Modeling of MetaMorpher: A Hybrid Rotary andFixed-Wing Morphing UAV
This work addresses the need for versatile UAVs in applications like surveillance or delivery by bridging agility and efficiency, but it is incremental as it builds on existing spincopter designs.
The paper tackled the design and modeling of a morphing UAV called MetaMorpher to combine vertical takeoff agility with fixed-wing efficiency, resulting in a nonlinear flight dynamics model that behaves predictably in simulations for rapid design evaluation.
In this paper, we present a generalized, comprehensive nonlinear mathematical model and conceptual design for the MetaMorpher, a metamorphic Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) designed to bridge the gap between vertical takeoff and landing agility and fixed-wing cruising efficiency. Building on the successful design of the spincopter platform, this work introduces a simplified mechanical architecture using lightweight materials and a novel wing-folding strategy. Unlike traditional rigid-body approximations, we derive a nonlinear flight dynamics model that enables arbitrary force distributions across a segmented wing structure. This modularity allows for testing different airfoils, mass distributions, and chord lengths in a single environment. As part of this work, various flight modes were specifically tested and analyzed in the Simulink environment. The results show that the model behaves predictably under different structural configurations, demonstrating its reliability as a tool for rapid design evaluation.