Fig. 6: A PID controller used angle of attack feedback to adjust pitch rate and provide a fair comparison between electrostatic (orange) and passive feathered wings (blue) during the pitch-up maneuver.
From: Electrostatic adhesion mitigates aerodynamic losses from gap formations in feathered wings

We found close agreement between the electrostatic and passive wings’ angles of attack (α) when approaching and maintaining the target angle (αtarget = 10°; red line) for each flight speed (U = 11.5, 14.3, 17 m/s; distinguished by increased opacity). The electrostatic wing consistently showed more aggressive flight, achieving a more rapid increase in flight path angle, \(\gamma\).