Unsteady aerodynamic loads induced by gusts adversely affect the stability and structural integrity of aerodynamic devices such as aircraft, drones, and wind turbines. This study proposes a Passive Adaptive Camber (PAC) wing in which the leading- and trailing-edge flaps are mechanically linked via a gear mechanism and deform passively in response to aerodynamic loading. The structural parameters, including gear ratio and flexural modulus, can be customized in the PAC design. To evaluate its deformation characteristics, wind tunnel experiments were conducted using an Eiffel-type open jet tunnel, varying the freestream velocity from 0 to 12.5 m/s and altering the number of leaf springs attached to the leading-edge flap. The deformation behavior of the PAC wing was captured through optical measurement. The results qualitatively demonstrated that the camber deformation increased with velocity and was suppressed with increased spring stiffness. These findings provide foundational insight for the future design of passive morphing wings aimed at unsteady load alleviation.
SUMI et al. (Wed,) studied this question.