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Another Ornithopter Takes Off

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the only-way-to-not-travel dept.

mnmn writes "Ornithopters have been around for a while, but a professor at the Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies has made progress with his. It flew for 14 seconds and covered a third of a kilometer. However it landed with a bit of a crash. Interestingly it uses a glow jet turbine from RC aircraft."

7 of 166 comments (clear)

  1. A Glow Jet Turbine? by Mindwarp · · Score: 5, Interesting

    As far as I was aware model jet turbines run on Kerosene, just like their bigger brethren. Glow fuel is Nitromethane mixed with a lubricant such as Castor or Synthetic oil.

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    1. Re:A Glow Jet Turbine? by bev_tech_rob · · Score: 4, Interesting
      Ducted fan, maybe?

      Den-tist! Jugga jigga wugga! Deli-style! Jugga jigga wugga!

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    2. Re:A Glow Jet Turbine? by dunkelfalke · · Score: 4, Interesting

      there is (no shit) a small helicopter powered by a lada (yes, that really bad russian car maker) wankel engine.
      read more here

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  2. Hey editors, you got it right for once... by ColdWetDog · · Score: 4, Interesting

    A slashdot article that is

    1) Interesting
    2) NOT and infomercial or astroturf
    3) Has a paragraph to page ratio of greater than 2
    4) Has some modicum of detail
    5) Not about SCO, Apple, Google or Mr. Bill

    Congrats. Of course, the signal to noise ratio is still painfully small. But it's a start.

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  3. Re:birds by Deadstick · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Precisely. We already have flapping-wing aircraft, and they fly much more efficiently than birds because we know how to make a rotating joint and nature doesn't. Consequently we flap with economical rotary motion instead of energy-wasting reciprocating motion.

    rj

  4. Manned Ornithopter Flight Already Done by c41rn · · Score: 4, Interesting
    According to this article, manned ornithopter flight had been achieved in 1942 by Adalbert Schmid. Like the ornithopter in the article, it was a manned, engine-powered ornithopter that could take off under its own power. The difference, it seems, is that Schmid's orni' had fixed wings in addition to the flappers whereas the one that flew today had only the flapping wings. Not to discredit or lessen their excellent achievement today, just think the history is interesting.

    Incidentally, you can buy some pretty neat ornithopter kits from www.ornithopter.org. I'm not affiliated or anything, just interested in flapping-wing flight and experimenting on a small scale.

    The development of flapping wing flight is interesting because it can also have other applications. I am especially interested in the use of 'flapper' designs in water craft (specifically for use in robotics). An interesting use of similar tech can be seen in these kayaks. Intersting stuff.

  5. Re:birds by falcon5768 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    actually you COULD rotate it 360, its not the joint that screws up the motion, its the muscles needed to create the motion. Nature makes rotating joints all over the place, its just its kinda useless thanks to the need to have something to move the joints. What would be more accurate is nature blows at creating gears.

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