Bio-Inspired Dragonfly Flapping-Wing UAV: Dual-Scale Configuration, Multi-Modal Flight Mechanism and Conceptual Design Research

Multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) exhibit inherent limitations, including elevated energy consumption during hovering, constrained maneuverability in confined spaces, and an absence of gliding capability. Conventional bio-inspired flapping-wing aircraft, meanwhile, are hampered by transmission losses, unimodal flight regimes, and restricted degrees of freedom in wing control, which presents a fundamental challenge in balancing high maneuverability with extended endurance. To address this critical gap, the present study synthesizes the high-frequency maneuvering capabilities of modern dragonflies with the gliding cruise characteristics of Paleozoic Meganeura giant dragonflies, thereby introducing a dual-scale (micro/medium) and multi-modal (flapping/gliding) conceptual design framework for bio-inspired dragonfly flapping-wing UAVs. This system replicates biological characteristics across two hierarchical dimensions: configuration and flight modality. The key innovations encompass: transmission-free direct drive, hierarchical composite wing venation, airflow resource utilization, and an integrated energy-thermal control subsystem with iterative layering. Through theoretical mechanism deduction and multi-dimensional benchmarking analysis, this study demonstrates the distinct theoretical advantages of the proposed system in terms of maneuverability, stealth performance, and adaptability to complex operating conditions. This work contributes systematic theoretical support and an iterative framework for the top-level architectural design of lightweight, special-purpose bio-inspired aircraft.