ornithopters

[Justo Miranda]

It is a bird?

[pometablava]

"bird 6" is a model of Quetzalcoalus:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quetzalcoatlus

a pterodactyloid (flying reptile, no related to dinosaurs) from late Cretacious period (84 to 65 million years ago). It was built for a Science TV documentary.

(I also love Evolution's secretprojects )

Cheers,
Antonio

[richard]

The third is the German Filter "Schwan Eins" built by Dahm & Krüger and shown at Hannover in 1958. 4 hp motor .

Wo could identify the first pic ?

Thanks

[pometablava]

For the first pic I should take a look at my books tonight

[amsci99]

The third pic reminds me of something called 'Winggrid', website is gone now but was a concept involving 'feather-like' winglets.

[zhuravlik]

Hi lads,
Have a look at this:
http://www.festo.com/INetDomino/coorp_sites/en/22ff224c0cba8e40c12572d60033d076.htm
The coolest thing i've EVER seen....

Best regards

Francesco

[Jemiba]

Really great, probably the most agile lighter-than-air vehicle ever built.
But heavier-than-air, man carrying ornithopters still seem notto be
around the corner.
But, would there be any advantage to other concepts ?   

[airman]

these types of planes remember me the game " Dune 2"

[Wingknut]

Re: the flying scale-model of 'Quetzalcoatlus Northropi', there's the following paper: A. N. Brooks, P. B. MacCready (et al), 'Development of a Wing-Flapping Flying Replica of the Largest Pterosaur', AIAA Paper 85 - 1446, 1985.
(And yes, I gather the beast is officially Q. 'Northropi' because of its resemblance to one of Jack N.'s fabulous flying-wings.)
Cheers,
'Wingknut'

[Avimimus]

What about the Bich-16 and Bich-18? 

I head that the Quetz was a real pain to keep from blowing off the vehicle while it was being taken uprange (people had to ride on the outside of the truck to keep it on...

[Stargazer2006]

Hi lads,
Have a look at this:
http://www.festo.com/INetDomino/coorp_sites/en/22ff224c0cba8e40c12572d60033d076.htm
The coolest thing i've EVER seen....

Best regards

Francesco

Although it does fly, and surprisingly well, but I wouldn't quite call it an "ornithopter" because this means "bird's wings", and obviously this one ought to be called "whale's flaps"...

[pometablava]

To be still the most precise, the ray is a fish. Then we have a fish wing and going to a classical greek derivative it would be called "ichthyopter"

[Stargazer2006]

Thanks! You are absolutely right, it is not in the shape of a sea mammal but a fish, indeed.

To be quite accurate, it should be spelled "ichtyopter". Thanks again!

[Machdiamond]

Bird 4 is Canadian UTIAS ornithopter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTIAS_Ornithopter_No.1
--Luc

[Jemiba]

An attempt from 1937, the Riout 102T "Alérion", not succesful, but still existing
today at the musée régional de l'air d'Angers:
(Drawings from Aviation Francais Magazine N°7, photo from http://www.musee-aviation-angers.fr)