Research on a Novel Trailing-Edge Winglet with Passive Automatic Angle-of-Attack Adjustment Function

Abstract

Low-altitude general aviation aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are widely deployed for complex operational tasks, yet low-altitude gusts and crosswind disturbances induce severe airspeed fluctuations, leading to variable lift, unstable flight altitude, and perturbed pitch attitude. Such aerodynamic fluctuations degrade flight smoothness and increase pilot control workload. To mitigate lift and altitude instability under unsteady incoming flow, this paper proposes a novel passive trailing-edge winglet configuration capable of self-regulating wing angle of attack (AOA) without active flight control systems. A quasi-static aerodynamic equilibrium analytical model based on moment balance about the wing pivot axis is established, combined with validated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to characterize the passive AOA adjustment mechanism and quantify lift variations under velocity perturbations. Results demonstrate that the integrated wing-winglet layout generates passive aerodynamic feedback moments to automatically adjust the wing AOA when freestream speed varies. For airspeed disturbances within ±10% of the cruise velocity (102 m/s, 0.3 Ma), the total lift fluctuation of the wing-winglet assembly is suppressed within ±1.01%, whereas conventional fixed-wing configurations experience lift deviations between −16% and +22% under identical disturbance conditions. Notably, the present study only verifies quasi-static aerodynamic equilibrium under steady inflow; dynamic flight stability, unsteady aerodynamic effects, and stall-limit performance remain unexamined and require further investigation. The core novelty of this design lies in the passive negative-feedback aerodynamic moment generated by the trailing-edge winglet, which decouples fuselage attitude from wing pitching motion and stabilizes equilibrium lift under mild low-altitude gust perturbations.