News Da Vinci's ornithopter takes flight

[tblaxland]

Da Vinci's ornithopter takes flight
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/24/3020694.htm?section=justin

Centuries after Leonardo Da Vinci sketched designs of a giant bat-shaped craft that used a pilot's arms and legs to power the wings, Canadian engineering students say they have flown an engineless aircraft that stays aloft by flapping its wings like a bird.

International aviation officials are expected to certify next month that "The Snowbird" has made the world's first successful, sustained flight of a human-powered ornithopter.

The Snowbird sustained both altitude and airspeed for 19.3 seconds, in an August 2 test flight near Toronto that was witnessed by an official of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, the University of Toronto announced.

Video: [ame="http://vimeo.com/15168011"]HPO The Snowbird on Vimeo[/ame]

Quite an impressive wing span at 32m and it has an interesting wing tip motion in the video. I wonder what the wing is made of?

 

[Moach]

wow... quite amazing!
i remeber a few years back hearing about how an ornithopter would be impossible :hmm: - guess it's not, haha! that oughta show 'em :thumbup:

what a strange, yet beautiful machine!

 

[statickid]

but is it gaining any altitude or speed? I can't tell. I guess staying aloft at all is pretty good, but are they sure it isn't just gliding and bumping up and down a bit???

 

[Shadow Addict]

That's pretty amazing. More than a century after we manage flight, we can finally fly like the birds that inspired us in the first place!

 

[tblaxland]

but is it gaining any altitude or speed? I can't tell. I guess staying aloft at all is pretty good, but are they sure it isn't just gliding and bumping up and down a bit???

From the article:

...the Canadian group says they have the telemetry data to prove their ornithopter powered itself through the air rather than just glided after being lifted aloft

I guess that was what the FAI was there to observe too.

 

[Wishbone]

Wasn't it Helmholtz who "proved" that birds cannot fly? Lighter materials today make dreams reality...

 

[Hielor]

but is it gaining any altitude or speed? I can't tell. I guess staying aloft at all is pretty good, but are they sure it isn't just gliding and bumping up and down a bit???

Too me it looked like it was slowing down somewhat over the course of the video, effectively turning speed into altitude (by maintaining its altitude). If so, that would just make it a glider...a very efficient one sure, but a glider nonetheless.

Combine that with the fact that it was in ground effect the whole time, and I'm not really impressed.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

What should be impressive though is that it's a design that was drawn out nearly 400 years ago.

Bumblebees aren't supposed to fly either IIRC...
Helicopters don't fly either, most of them are so ugly that the ground repulses them naturally.

 

[Hielor]

What should be impressive though is that it's a design that was drawn out nearly 400 years ago.

Bumblebees aren't supposed to fly either IIRC...
Helicopters don't fly either, most of them are so ugly that the ground repulses them naturally.

Actually, the design they flew there has very little in common with the 400-year-old design except for the fact that it's an ornithopter...

 

[Sky Captain]

Cool, although doesn't seem particularly efficient way to fly because other human powered aircraft where pilot drives propeller have made several hours long flights. I'm wondering does this concept have any advantages over traditional propeller or jet powered aircraft?

 

[statickid]

Proving that birds and bumblebees can't fly is only the same as proving that 1=2 with faulty mathematics. All it does is prove that your method is flawed :lol:

 

[RisingFury]

Proving that birds and bumblebees can't fly is only the same as proving that 1=2 with faulty mathematics. All it does is prove that your method is flawed :lol:

I can prove that 0.99999.... = 1, does that count?

 

[Krys]

Awesome - and looks graceful unlike a heli or plane!

Again it looks like a proof of concept flight. It is possible they will develop it further in future but it is a very good way of approaching the issue.

 

[Ghostrider]

Bumblebees aren't supposed to fly either IIRC...
Helicopters don't fly either, most of them are so ugly that the ground repulses them naturally.

Anything can fly through the correct application of rocket thrust. If it doesn't take off, just add more rocket thrust. And then some more for good measure.:thumbup:

 

[PhantomCruiser]

The F-4 Phantom is proof of that. We were doing a paint job on one, and I asked my chief if maybe we should sand down the (several) layers of paint to save weight.
He said to me "Son, this thing has two J-52 engines on it, all the pilot has to do is give it a little bit more gas, and he'll be alright".

The design of the ornithopter presented is, yes, not what Da Vinci designed. A well trained athelete working his butt of in a small cacoon instead of an overweight middle-aged guy operating some levers/pedals. But still, I thought it was an accomplishement that they should be proud of.

 

[Hielor]

I can prove that 0.99999.... = 1, does that count?

No, that doesn't count, because it uses perfectly valid mathematics...

 

[Polaris]

Too bad Mr. Da Vinci can't see it...