16 th Australian Aerospace Congress, 23-24 February 2015, Melbourne Design of Bio-Inspired Autonomous Aircraft for Bird Management Brayden Muller 1 , Reece Clothier 1 , Simon Watkins 1 and Alex Fisher 1 1 Sir Lawrence Wackett Aerospace Research Centre, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia. Abstract Wild bird management at airports and sporting venues is a significant issue. Numerous methods for managing birds are used. Falconry has proven the most effective solution but it is not without its limitations; predatory birds are temperamental, can be difficult to manage, and are unable to be flown at night. The aim of this research is to develop an autonomous unmanned bird, replicating the physical characteristics, and flight behaviour of the Australian apex avian predator, the Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila Audax). This paper presents the design, fabrication, and initial results from wind tunnel testing to characterise the aerodynamic performance of the unmanned aircraft. The unmanned aircraft includes a novel control surface designed to replicate the control functions of birds’ tails. Keywords: aerodynamics, bio-inspired, design, falconry, UAS, UAV, wedge-tailed eagle. Introduction Bird management is a significant safety issue, particularly at airports. Between the years of 2002 and 2011 there was a total of 7,525 bird strikes involving aircraft during the take-off and landing phases in Australia alone [1]. The forced landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River [2], clearly illustrates the magnitude of the safety risk posed by the hazard of bird-strike. Wild birds also have a significant economic impact. The Australian government estimates that close to $300 million in horticultural production is lost annually due to crop damage caused by birds [3]. Problematic birds are also an issue at many of the world’s most famous sporting facilities. The Melbourne Cricket Ground, for example, has explored numerous passive and active techniques to manage the large numbers of Silver Gulls (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae), which congregate within the stadium. Numerous techniques have been explored which aim to discourage the presence of wild birds. These can be active or passive. Passive techniques include removing the conditions for bird habitation, such as food sources, and clear roosting sites. Balloons, kites, lights and mirrors, static artificial predators (dummy birds and scarecrows), and wires, are other passive techniques that aim to discourage the presence of birds. However, their effectiveness can diminish with time as the pest birds become accustomed to their presence. Unless an element of danger or unpredictability is evident, the targeted bird will habituate to such methods [3]. More active techniques predominantly rely on frightening the bird, and include gas guns and falconry. Falconry (the use of real predatory birds) has proven effective, however; its use in today’s society is limited. Predatory birds are particularly temperamental creatures that are not guaranteed to follow commands, with a tendency to not fly at all. They are unable to be flown at night, when moulting, or during poor weather conditions [4]. Expensive operating costs also contribute to the restricted use of falconry [5]. One area of active research, to overcome the limitations of falconry, is to develop a robotic bird. Numerous studies have explored the capabilities of such a concept [6, 7]. One more recent study, conducted by Battistoni et al. [8], developed a radio controlled aircraft based on the Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) and conducted a series of tests to determine its effectiveness as a bird management tool. The tests were conducted at Rome’s Fiumicino airport over the duration of 42 days. The system provided a controlled, rapid, and non-lethal method for reducing the number of pest birds present at the airport. However, Battistoni et al. found that “the device effectiveness was highly dependent on the operator’s skill in handling the model”[8], suggesting the need for the development of a more autonomous capability. This provides the motivation for the work described in this paper, to develop a bio-inspired autonomous Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) for bird management at airports and sporting venues. This paper presents the design, manufacture, and testing of a UAS inspired by the Australian Wedge-tailed Eagle. The basic aerodynamic performance characteristics presented provide the foundation for the later development of a dynamic model.