Simviation Forum - Student flies like a bird, powered only by himself

Sep 25^th, 2010 at 9:11am

patchz Offline
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A Canadian university student has done what Leonardo da Vinci had only dreamt of: Piloted a human-powered "wing-flapping" plane! Called an ornithopter, and the inspiration for modern day helicopters, the machine was first sketched by da Vinci way back in 1485 and never actually built.

Todd Reichert, an engineering student at the University of Toronto, made history by sustaining flight in his ornithopter -- named Snowbird -- for 19.3 seconds and covering 475.72 feet. Snowbird is made from carbon fiber, balsa wood, and foam. The 92.59 pound vehicle maintained an average speed of 15.91 miles per hour.

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/guest_bloggers/70/student-flies-like-a-bird-powered-...

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Reply #1 - Sep 25^th, 2010 at 11:43am

expat Offline
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Quite a feat, but I can't help but to think that it still took a V8 to get it off the ground. Had it been more along the lines of the Gossamer Albatross then that would have been truly impressive.

Matt

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Reply #2 - Sep 25^th, 2010 at 4:12pm

patchz Offline
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expat wrote on Sep 25^th, 2010 at 11:43am:

Quite a feat, but I can't help but to think that it still took a V8 to get it off the ground. Had it been more along the lines of the Gossamer Albatross then that would have been truly impressive.

Matt

I agree Matt, but I thought it was interesting enough to post. Not to sure about the wing flex though. Seems to me a prop with a gear mechanism might be the way to go. On second thought, think I will stick with internal combustion. Roll Eyes

If God intended aircraft engines to have horizontally opposed engines, Pratt and Whitney would have made them that way.

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Reply #3 - Sep 25^th, 2010 at 4:30pm

Steve M Offline
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I also wondered how much distance the tow gave it. I did see lift happening when the wings pulled down. It needs a knuckle dragger with long arms at the helm. Like Magilla Gorilla..

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Reply #4 - Sep 25^th, 2010 at 5:38pm

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Because the plane has a wingspan of 104 feet -- which is comparable to that of a Boeing 737 -- the pilot had to pedal with his legs all while pulling on the wings to flap at the same time. And he had to do it fast enough to fly

Not sure I understand this. Presumably it's powered by flapping the wings. If he flaps the wings with his arms what are the pedals for? It strikes me that a conventional glider with that sort of wing span would remain airborne from a tow for the same length of time.

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Reply #5 - Sep 25^th, 2010 at 7:36pm

B-Valvs Offline
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Hagar wrote on Sep 25^th, 2010 at 5:38pm:

Quote:

Because the plane has a wingspan of 104 feet -- which is comparable to that of a Boeing 737 -- the pilot had to pedal with his legs all while pulling on the wings to flap at the same time. And he had to do it fast enough to fly

Not sure I understand this. Presumably it's powered by flapping the wings. If he flaps the wings with his arms what are the pedals for? It strikes me that a conventional glider with that sort of wing span would remain airborne from a tow for the same length of time.

Great minds think alike Hagar. I doubt the flapping action had anything to do with the duration of the flight.

Cool

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Reply #6 - Sep 25^th, 2010 at 7:52pm

Steve M Offline
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B-Valvs wrote on Sep 25^th, 2010 at 7:36pm:

Hagar wrote on Sep 25^th, 2010 at 5:38pm:

Quote:

Because the plane has a wingspan of 104 feet -- which is comparable to that of a Boeing 737 -- the pilot had to pedal with his legs all while pulling on the wings to flap at the same time. And he had to do it fast enough to fly

Not sure I understand this. Presumably it's powered by flapping the wings. If he flaps the wings with his arms what are the pedals for? It strikes me that a conventional glider with that sort of wing span would remain airborne from a tow for the same length of time.

Great minds think alike Hagar. I doubt the flapping action had anything to do with the duration of the flight.

Cool

Could it be that the pedals are connected to the wing ropes and the pedals are moved both clockwise and counterclockwise? Also.. There is one force to contract the wings and only a loss of altitude to expand the wings.

(Rambling on. Roll Eyes

)

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Reply #7 - Sep 28^th, 2010 at 5:55pm

drbob777 Offline
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Interesting read.

But its still a powered launch so its not really human powered in terms of getting airbourne

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Reply #8 - Sep 28^th, 2010 at 11:18pm

patchz Offline
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Steve M wrote on Sep 25^th, 2010 at 4:30pm:

I also wondered how much distance the tow gave it. I did see lift happening when the wings pulled down. It needs a knuckle dragger with long arms at the helm. Like Magilla Gorilla..

As soon as I read that, I instantly got a picture in my mind of Magilla furiously pedaling for all he's worth, whilst dropping like a rock. Thanks for the laugh Steve, I needed it. Grin

If God intended aircraft engines to have horizontally opposed engines, Pratt and Whitney would have made them that way.

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Reply #9 - Sep 30^th, 2010 at 6:37pm

FuturePilot Offline
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Just wait everybody!! A hundred years from now in the 'eco-world' there will be commercial airliners really cheap because you do the work!! Grin

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Reply #10 - Sep 30^th, 2010 at 6:52pm

Steve M Offline
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FuturePilot wrote on Sep 30^th, 2010 at 6:37pm:

Just wait everybody!! A hundred years from now in the 'eco-world' there will be commercial airliners really cheap because you do the work!! Grin

I like the reply, but somehow pumping our own gasoline and bagging our own grocerys never made it cheaper. Wink

Flying with twins is a lot of fun..

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