CHAPTER 3
 MORPHING

 The concept of morphing is not an idea which has been strictly defined. A

morphing aircraft is generally defined to be an aircraft whose shape changes during

flight to optimize performance. Types of shape changes include span, chord, camber,

area, thickness, aspect ratio and planform. The morphing can also be applied to a

control surface in order to eliminate hinges.

 Morphing can be used as a control effector by changing the shape of the aircraft

in order to alter the flight dynamics. The concept of morphing has been looked at by

DARPA and NASA to show the aerodynamic benefits; however, the use of morphing

for control design has not been studied extensively. The wing morphing techniques for

the MAVs in this project consider using servos which are attached to the wings.

 Aircraft have previously used techniques for adapting their shape depending on

the specific flight characteristics desired. The use of morphing as a control effector

was used initially on the Wright Flyer, where the pilot used cables to twist the wings

in order to achieve the desired motion. Wing warping did not become a common

technique; however, due to the power which is required from actuators to change the

shape of the wings [21].

 Morphing is also used on the F-14 which has a variable sweep on the wing,

therefore changing the shape of the wing during flight. The wings are swept in order to

balance the range and speed by slowing down the increase in drag which develops as

velocity increases [21].

 There are different ways that an aircraft can be morphed which are appropriate for

control. The current research will focus on morphing of the wings in order to consider