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Real-life Ornithopter to Take Flight?

Posted by Hemos on from the duncan-idaho-would-be-so-proud dept.

A reader writes "According to this article at space.com, researchers at the University of Toronto have designed and built a working ornithopter. Their design will (hopefully) lift off solely powered by the motion of its articulated wings. First envisaged by Leonardo da Vinci, many will recall ornithopers' prominent role in Frank Herbert's Dune books. The U. Toronto Ornithopter project page is is found at ornithopter.net." "Usul ? , Base of the Pillar"

1 of 170 comments (clear)

  1. hmm, strange opening paragraph by 3prong · · Score: 3, Interesting


    The article's first paragraph says ...But the oldest concept of how a machine would fly, based on the action of bird's wings, still hasn't taken flight.

    Kind of misleading. The Wright brothers' design was based almost exactly on the bird's wing, but in the bird's "gliding" mode (wherein the curved top surface creates faster moving air, which causes lower air pressure above, which effects lift).

    The Wrights wisely avoided the complicated "flapping" mode of wings by creating the necessary forward motion using a prop.