What was an “Ornithopter”?
Ornithopters is the term applied to Flying Machines which utilize flapping wings as the propelling power. Many people, quite reasonably, attempted to imitate the motion of bird wings, usually by attaching wing-like structures to arms. However, humans weigh much more than birds relative to the power which can be produced. Birds, weighing very little, can generate a tremendous amount of energy. For a long while it was believed that successful human-powered Ornithopters could never fly. Recently, however, a number of ingenious attempts to use human energy to power very lightweight flapping-wing structures have been made. The following web sites can provide more information on recent attempts to build a successful human-powered ornithopter Flying Machine: Silver Shooting Stars in Japan, Project Ornithopter and the Ornithopter Society web site, which offers free plans for building a model ornithopter. Return to Questions Why was a steam engine not a suitable powerplant for a Flying Machine?
