Although wide range of studies have been performed on the principles of flapping
flight, only recently the influence of flexibility on flapping flight and in particular
the influence of flexibility on the performance of the ’clap-and-peel’ motion have
been performed. In this thesis new methods and higher Reynolds number flows are
used together with experimentally obtained deforming wing shapes of the DelFLy
II to determine the influence of flexibility on the aerodynamics both in single wing
flight and in the ’clap-and-peel’ motion during hovering conditions.