Recent work on a novel approach to the control of the aerodynamic performance of lifting surfaces by fluidic modification of their apparent aerodynamic shape, or virtual aerosurface shaping is reviewed. This flow control approach emphasizes fluidic modification of the “apparent” aerodynamic shape of the surface with the objective of altering or prescribing the streamwise pressure gradient. Cont...

Reynolds number and thus body size may potentially limit aerodynamic force production in flying insects due to relative changes of viscous forces on the beating wings. By comparing four different species of fruit flies similar in shape but with different body mass, we have investigated how small insects cope with changes in fluid mechanical constraints on power requirements for flight and the e...

The present paper deals with the preliminary design of a general aviation Commuter 11 seat aircraft. The Commuter aircraft market is today characterized by very few new models and the majority of aircraft in operation belonging to this category are older than 35 years. Tecnam Aircraft Industries and the Department of Aerospace Engineering (DIAS) of the University of Naples "Federico II" are dee...

Tesla turbines, featuring bladeless turbomachinery and energy transformation using the viscosity of working medium, have wide application prospects in renewable utilization as micropower equipment portable power units show better aerodynamic performance with a smaller turbine size. In this paper, miniaturization method including stator rotor, was proposed based on its sensitivity analysis resul...

A multidisciplinary research effort that combines aerodynamic modeling and gain-scheduled control design for aircraft flight at post-stall conditions is described. The aerodynamic modeling uses a decambering approach for rapid prediction of post-stall aerodynamic characteristics of multiple-wing configurations using known section data. The approach is successful in bringing to light multiple so...