In this study, an efficient ornithopter aerodynamic model, which is applicable to ornithopter wing design considering fluid-structure interaction or ornithopter flight dynamics and control simulation, was proposed and experimentally validated through the wind tunnel experiments. Due to the ornithopter aerodynamics governed by unsteady low Reynolds number flow, an experimental device was specially designed and developed. A part of the experimental device, 2-axis loadcell, was situated in the non-inertial frame; the dynamic calibration method was established to compensate the inertial load for pure aerodynamic load measurements. The characteristics of proposed aerodynamic model were compared with the experimental data in terms of mean and root-mean-square values of lift and drag coefficients with respect to the flow speed, flapping frequency, and fixed angle of attack.
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