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An ornithopter (from Greek ornithos "bird" and pteron "wing") is an aircraft that flies by flapping its wings. Designers seek to imitate the flapping-wing flight of birds, bats, and insects. Though machines may differ in form, they are usually built on the same scale as these flying creatures. Manned ornithopters have also been built, and some successful flights have been reported. For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ...
For the flying mammal see bat. ...
Orders Subclass Apterygota Symphypleona - globular springtails Subclass Archaeognatha (jumping bristletails) Subclass Dicondylia Monura - extinct Thysanura (common bristletails) Subclass Pterygota Diaphanopteroidea - extinct Palaeodictyoptera - extinct Megasecoptera - extinct Archodonata - extinct Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Blattodea (cockroaches) Mantodea (mantids) Isoptera (termites) Zoraptera Grylloblattodea Dermaptera (earwigs) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets...
Image File history File links Skybird. ...
Image File history File links Skybird. ...
Early history The idea of constructing wings in order to imitate the flight of birds dates to the ancient Greek legend of Daedalus and Icarus. Roger Bacon, writing in 1260, was among the first to consider a technological means of flight. Around 1490, Leonardo da Vinci began to study the flight of birds. He grasped that humans are too heavy, and not strong enough, to fly using wings simply attached to the arms. Therefore he proposed a device in which the aviator lies down on a plank and works two large, membranous wings using hand levers, foot pedals, and a system of pulleys. Flight is the main mode of locomotion used by most of the worlds bird species. ...
Daedalus and Icarus, by Charles Paul Landon, 1799 (Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle, Alençon) In Greek mythology, Daedalus (Latin, also Hellenized Latin Daedalos, Greek Daidalos (Δαίδαλος) meaning cunning worker, and Etruscan Taitle) was a most skillful artificer, so skillful that he was said to have invented...
Icarus and Daedalus by Frederic Leighton In Greek mythology, Icarus (Latin, Greek – Ãkaros, Etruscan – Vicare, German – Ikarus) was son of Daedalus, famous for his death by falling into the sea when he flew too close to the sun, melting the wax holding his artificial wings together. ...
For the Nova Scotia premier see Roger Bacon (politician). ...
The Mona Lisa Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was an Italian polymath: scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, architect, musician, and writer. ...
The first ornithopters capable of flight were constructed in France in the 1870s. Gustav Trouvé's 1870 model flew a distance of 70 meters in a demonstration for the French Academy of Sciences. The wings were flapped by gunpowder charges activating a bourdon tube. Jobert in 1871 used a rubber band to power a small model bird. Alphonse Penaud, Hureau de Villeneuve, Victor Tatin, and others soon followed with their own designs. Many techniques have been developed for the measurement of pressure and vacuum. ...
Around 1890, Lawrence Hargrave built several ornithopters powered by steam or compressed air. He introduced the use of small flapping wings providing the thrust for a larger fixed wing. This eliminated the need for gear reduction, thereby simplifying the construction. To achieve a more birdlike appearance, this approach is not generally favored today. Hargrave (seated) and Swain demonstrate the manlift kites (labelled A, B, D, & E), sling seat and spring balance in the parkland behind Stanwell Park beach, November 1894 Lawrence Hargrave (29 January 1850 – 6 July 1915) was an engineer, explorer, astronomer, inventor and aeronautical pioneer. ...
In the 1930s, Erich von Holst carried the rubber band powered bird model to a high state of development and great realism. Also in the 1930s, Alexander Lippisch and other researchers in Germany harnessed the piston internal combustion engine. (1908-1962), German behavioral physiologist - page exists in german Categories: | | | ...
Alexander Lippisch earned his PhD in 1943 at the University of Heidelberg. ...
Manned flight Perhaps because the prevailing culture favors fixed wing aircraft, people are mainly aware of the failed attempts at flapping-wing flight. This article describes only the more successful attempts. The machines are of two general types: those with engines, and those powered by the muscles of the pilot. Image File history File links Schmid. ...
Image File history File links Schmid. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x727, 464 KB) Ornithopter Flight - July 08, 2006 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x727, 464 KB) Ornithopter Flight - July 08, 2006 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
In 1929, a manned ornithopter designed by Alexander Lippisch flew a distance of 250 to 300 meters after tow launch. The flight duration was necessarily short due to the limitations of human muscle power. Since a tow launch was used, some have questioned whether the aircraft was capable of sustained flight, however brief. Lippisch asserted that the aircraft was actually flying, not making an extended glide. Later tow-launched flights include Bedford Maule (1942), Emil Hartmann (1959), and Vladimir Toporov (1993). All faced similar limitations due to the reliance on human muscle power. Alexander Lippisch earned his PhD in 1943 at the University of Heidelberg. ...
In 1942, Adalbert Schmid flew a motorized, manned ornithopter at Munich-Laim. It was driven by small flapping wings mounted at the sides of the fuselage, behind a larger fixed wing. Fitted with a 3 hp Sachs motorcycle engine, it made flights up to 15 minutes in duration. Schmid later constructed a 10 hp ornithopter based on the Grunau-Baby IIa sailplane, which was flown in 1947. The second aircraft had flapping outer wing panels. [1]
In 2005, Yves Rousseau was given the Paul Tissandier Diploma, awarded by the FAI for contributions to the field of aviation. Rousseau attempted his first human-muscle-powered flight with flapping wings in 1995. On 20 April 2006, at his 212th attempt, he succeeded in flying a distance of 64 metres, observed by officials of the Aero Club de France. Unfortunately, on his 213th flight attempt, a gust of wind led to a wing breaking up, causing the pilot to be gravely injured and rendered paraplegic.[2] Yves Rousseau (France) is credited with some ultralight aircraft FAI world records and has received international recognition for his 13 years of work on human-powered ornithopter flight. ...
A team at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, headed by Professor James DeLaurier, worked for several years on an engine-powered, piloted ornithopter. In July 2006, at the Bombardier Airfield at Downsview Park in Toronto, Professor DeLaurier's machine made a jet-assisted takeoff and 14-second flight. According to DeLaurier[3], the jet was necessary for sustained flight, but the flapping wings did most of the work.[4] The University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies - or UTIAS (pronounced you-TIE-us) as it is commonly referred to - was established in 1949. ...
James D. DeLaurier is an inventor and professor emeritus of the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies. ...
Downsview Park is a Canadian National Urban Park in the Downsview community of Toronto, Ontario, comprising 600 acres (2. ...
Recent developments Practical applications capitalize on the resemblance to birds or insects. The Colorado Division of Wildlife has used these machines to help save the endangered Gunnison Sage Grouse. An artificial hawk under the control of an operator causes the grouse to remain on the ground so they can be captured for study. Species Centrocercus urophasianus, (Bonaparte, 1827) Centrocercus minimus, (Young et. ...
Because ornithopters resemble birds or insects, they could be used for military applications, such as spying without alerting the enemies that they are under surveillance. AeroVironment, Inc., led by Paul B. MacCready (Gossamer Albatross), has developed a remotely piloted ornithopter the size of a large insect for possible spy missions. The Gossamer Albatross II in flight. ...
MacCready also developed, for the Smithsonian Institution, a half-scale replica of the giant pterosaur, Quetzalcoatlus northropi. The model had a wingspan of 5.5 meters (18 feet) and featured a complex, computerized control system, just as the full-size pterosaur relied on its neuromuscular system to make constant adjustments in flight. The Smithsonian Institution Building or Castle on the National Mall serves as the Institutions headquarters. ...
Suborders Pterodactyloidea Rhamphorhynchoidea * Pterosaurs (, from the Greek πτεÏόσαυÏος, pterosauros, meaning winged lizard, often referred to as pterodactyls, from the Greek πτεÏοδάκτυλος, pterodaktulos, meaning winged finger ) were flying reptiles of the clade Pterosauria. ...
Quetzalcoatlus northropi, named after the Aztec feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, was a pterodactyloid Pterosaur known from the Late Cretaceous of North America, and the largest known flying animal of all time. ...
Researchers hope to eliminate the motors and gears of current designs by more closely imitating animal flight muscles. Georgia Tech scientist Robert C. Michelson is developing a Reciprocating Chemical Muscle for use in micro-scale flapping-wing aircraft. Michelson uses the term "entomopter" for this type of ornithopter. SRI International is developing polymer artificial muscles which may also be used for flapping-wing flight. Prof. ...
The Reciprocating Chemical Muscle (RCM) is a mechanism that takes advantage of the superior energy density of chemical reactions. ...
SRI Internationals main campus on Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, California SRI International is one of the worlds largest contract research institutions. ...
In 2002, Krister Wolff and Peter Nordin of Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, built a flapping wing robot that learned flight techniques.[5] The balsa wood design was driven by machine learning software technology known as a steady state linear evolutionary algorithm. Inspired by natural evolution, the software “evolves” in response to feedback on how well it performs a given task. Although confined to a laboratory apparatus, their ornithopter evolved behavior for maximum sustained lift force and horizontal movement.[6] This article is under construction. ...
Chalmers University of Technology or Chalmers tekniska högskola (CTH), often Chalmers, is a university in Gothenburg, Sweden that focuses on research and edication in technology, natural science and architecture. ...
As a broad subfield of artificial intelligence, machine learning is concerned with the design and development of algorithms and techniques that allow computers to learn. At a general level, there are two types of learning: inductive, and deductive. ...
In artificial intelligence, an evolutionary algorithm (EA) is a subset of evolutionary computation, a generic population-based metaheuristic optimization algorithm. ...
This article is about evolution in biology. ...
Ornithopters as a hobby
 The Dragonfly is a popular toy made by Wow-Wee. Hobbyists can build and fly their own ornithopters. These range from light-weight models powered by rubber band, to larger models with radio control. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3648 × 2736 pixel, file size: 4. ...
Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3648 × 2736 pixel, file size: 4. ...
This radio control airplane is carrying a scale model of X-33 and is taking part in NASA research. ...
The rubber-band-powered model can be fairly simple in design and construction. Students as well as older hobbyists compete for the longest flight times with these models. An introductory model can be fairly simple in design and construction, but the advanced competition designs are extremely delicate and challenging to build. Roy White holds the US national record for indoor rubber-powered, with his flight time of 21 minutes, 44 seconds.
Commercial radio controlled designs stem from Percival Spencer's engine-powered Seagulls, developed circa 1958, and Sean Kinkade's work in the late 1990s. The wings are usually driven by an electric motor. Many hobbyists enjoy experimenting with their own new wing designs and mechanisms. The opportunity to interact with real birds in their own domain also adds great enjoyment to this hobby. Birds are often curious and will follow or investigate the model while it is flying. In a few cases, RC birds have been attacked by birds of prey, crows, and even cats. Orders Accipitriformes Cathartidae Pandionidae Accipitridae Sagittariidae Falconiformes Falconidae A bird of prey or raptor is a bird that hunts its food, especially one that preys on mammals or other birds. ...
Some helpful resources for hobbyists include The Ornithopter Design Manual, book written by Nathan Chronister, and The Ornithopter Zone web site, which includes a large amount of information about building and flying these models.
Ready-made toy ornithopters are available. These include the Tim Bird (made by G de Ruymbeke, France, since 1969) and the radio-controlled Dragonfly from WowWee. WowWee Ltd. ...
Aerodynamics As demonstrated by birds, flapping wings offer potential advantages in maneuverability and energy savings compared with fixed-wing aircraft.
Aerodynamically, ornithopters differ from fixed-wing aircraft in that the driving airfoils have a flapping instead of rotary motion. Typically, the driving airfoils are large, so that the volume of air acted on to produce thrust is maximized. Since the flapping airfoils produce both lift and thrust, drag-inducing structures are minimized. These two advantages potentially allow a high degree of efficiency.
From general aerodynamic considerations, ornithopters appear to make more efficient use of power than rotating propeller or jet aircraft do. The difficulties that have prevented major practical application appear to be the required mechanisms and structures, and the comfort of passengers since the ornithopter body typically oscillates counter to the wing motion.
However, the main issue in constructing large manned ornithopters is the problem of wing loading. For similarly shaped flyers, the weight increases as the cube of linear dimension, while the lift-producing surface area increases only as the square of linear dimension. Thus as the payload portion of the flyer gets larger, the wings must increase in size disproportionately in order to maintain wing loading at levels where lift can overcome the craft's total weight. These much larger wings are then more difficult to flap. In bird species, increase in size results in a trend away from flapping flight and toward gliding flight in a pseudo-fixed wing configuration. The largest flying birds currently known, such as the King Vulture and the Stork, are principally gliders. In aerodynamics, wing loading is the loaded weight of the aircraft divided by the area of the wing. ...
The King Vulture or American King Vulture, Sarcoramphus papa, is the most strikingly colored of the New World vultures. ...
Genera See text. ...
Trivia Robert Bernard Altman (February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. ...
Brewster McCloud is a 1970 movie directed by Robert Altman; it centers on a young recluse who lives in a fallout shelter of the Houston Astrodome building a pair of wings so hell be able to fly. ...
References - ^ Bruno Lange, Typenhandbuch der deutschen Luftfahrttechnik, Koblenz, 1986.
- ^ FAI web site.
- ^ Dr. James DeLaurier's report on the Flapper's Flight July 8, 2006
- ^ University of Toronto ornithopter takes off July 31, 2006
- ^ Winged robot learns to fly New Scientist, August 2002
- ^ Creation of a learning, flying robot by means of Evolution In Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference, GECCO 2002 (pp. 1279-1285). New York, 9-13 July 2002. Morgan Kaufmann. Awarded "Best Paper in Evolutionary Robotics" at GECCO 2002.
Further reading - Hallion, Richard P. (2003). Taking Flight: Inventing the Aerial Age from Antiquity through the First World War. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-516035-5.
- Chronister, Nathan. (1999). The Ornithopter Design Manual. Published by The Ornithopter Zone.
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The Wikimedia Commons (also called Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...
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