Wing Flappers

AAC Cadet Leader · 20 March 2004, 10:25 PM

Anybody have any pics and narrative on wing-flapping flying machines past and present to share?

Saw something last year about someone on the U.S. east coast re-developing the theory. Anyone know if he's suceeded?

Barker · 21 March 2004, 07:10 PM

Is this the Bats In The Belfry theory?

jempie · 22 March 2004, 07:39 AM

Hello!

The keywords for researsch on internet shoild be "Ornithopter", Ornithoptère, Schwingenflieger I accept.
Since early beginnings in search to fly studies were made on how birds were flying!

The Lillienthal brothers made one I know!

Also in France, a military named "Renard" published a book about these...
Than Henri (Henry) Villard at paris also experimented with flapwing plane at the start, but later (1902-03) sponsored by the Belgians at Brussels fully wentover to develop his Ornis I,II and III (helicopters&#33

Also Adhemar de la Hault (Belgian) did construct some 2 "ornithopters"!
One here on photo at the airfield of Camp de Casteau (now SHAPE is located on this grounds&#33

the, what I accept, was the second ornithopter constructed by him!

But notice little info to find but this photo!

I think to have a picture from one from Kimball (?) published in some old 1909-1910 German magazine? I remember the photo, two flapwings with vertical elements while closing when going down!

There are surely a lot constructed at the time, by the way also one of Blériot's first attempts was "flapwings" one, but without succes!
("Blériot I" , ornithopthère year 1900 & 1901&#33

Rubber motorised models (eventually steam powered models) were succesfull, but the real size things in general not at all!

But I can't follow anymore my correspondents requests!
So it's difficult to researsch my library (books) and magazines to recuperate those photos! time missing for!

VBR

Jempie

Added A. de la Hault ornithoptère at Camp de Casteau...never seen published elswhere a picture from since I collect! So quasi "unique"!
But he was editor of the "Conquête de l'air" magazine from the Belgian Aéro-Club! Problem is to get acces to these, as I am sure his constructions are to find in there! Also Henri Villard was employed by the AVIA company at Brussels and gave for more lectures on "birds flight and flapwing technology" for this Aé-C. B. at the time and was technical adviser to the redaction of the "Conquête de L'Air"!
So both "de la Hault" and "Villard" knew eachother quite well!

Sorry forgot the photo cannot be added here !
Place it on aviation/planes on normal Forum here above!(Sorry&#33

jempie · 22 March 2004, 09:23 AM

Hi!

Just to let you know if you search with COOGLE (or another search engine I accept) typing in "ORNITHOPTER" you come on a number of websites (on for more Project Ornithopter containing a number of links websites alike this one&#33

got a quick look and goes about todays modern attempts to construct them!
Also some history is mentioned...but probably photo's as I forwarded here won't be there to find! I guess the are quite rare to find indeed!

They also refer to man-powered ones...well, I have pictures on Jakob Degen (Blériot I is probably based on this one) and others...
Also one guy from Bruges (where I live) in Belgium, "De Groof" at the time was a manpowered one .He made deadly crash with it at London! A biography I have on him was published here at Bruges, but's in Dutch!
But into my old ballooning history books, this history is retold as well!

So advise you once to search for it on Internet!

VBR

Jempie

baldeagle · 22 March 2004, 10:49 PM

From the ORA website.
H.J.B. Passat claimed to have flown this type aircraft a distance of 20 yards at Wimbledon. It was later reported to have flown 450’ on Wimbledon Common until it hit a tree. It was designed so the wings could be folded back and it could cruise like an automobile on the ground.

This reproduction aircraft was built at White Waltham in England for the 1965 film, "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines." It originally had a 16 hp Douglas motorcycle engine to power the rear wheels and flap the rear wings. It was given to Cole Palen in return for promoting the film in the United States. Cole transported several of his own pioneer aircraft to thirteen major cities in the northeast and had been promised an aircraft from the film in return for his hard work. He was somewhat disappointed when the Ornithopter arrived at the Aerodrome rather than the airworthy Bristol Boxkite or Avro Triplane!
Country:
Year: 1910
(reproduction)
Engine: motorcycle engine
Horsepower: 4 HP
Quantity Mfg:
Wingspan: 24’-0"
(7.31 m)
Length:

Top Speed:

Gross Weight:

AAC Cadet Leader · 24 March 2004, 08:45 PM

baldeagle,
Thanks for the great response! Coincedence? I took a pic of the same one inside the museum on my last visit there in July 2001. Not great, since I moved in low light, no flash.

Am trying to post the pic, but keeps kicking back -- more than 50k.

oraornithop2001.jpg

Aaargh! This is so frustrating trying to figure out how to post pictures. Worked once or twice after a hundred different tries, but can't remember how it finally did work.

AAC Cadet Leader · 5 April 2004, 04:05 PM

http://img37.photobucket.com/albums/v115/B...aornithop01.jpg

There it is. Same bird inside the building.

Wind In The Wires · 5 April 2004, 07:22 PM

Here's a link list from a model ornithopter page. Some of the links are for full size projects;

http://www.ornithopter.org/links.shtml

I've built and flown an indoor rubber powered stick and tissue ornithopter and they tend to want to vibrate themselves to pieces. Many years ago the indoor record was around 8 minutes.

AAC Cadet Leader · 5 April 2004, 07:31 PM

http://members.aol.com/clipcom/birdmans.htm

Hmmm. They want an aviatrix to do the maiden voyage. Sounds tempting. Think it'll fly?

jempie · 6 April 2004, 10:24 AM

Hi!

Sorry but due to PC poblems I lost all photos or pictures scanned on that subject! All what was stored into Adobe photoshop went lost!
Due to the problems I couldn't save them anymore on external disc or Cd-ROM!
If interested I advise you to take contact once with Rod Filan or Baldeagle!
I mailed them the scanned Demoiselle pictures on real size!

I restarted with the reloaded PC only about 18th march!
Those pictures wer from before this date!
Checked my external discs in a hurry, but as far I can see no demislles on there!

I scanned here one from the n°22...Just the plane as it a classic photo before a castle around Rambouillet with Santos Dumont himself on it here.

VBR

Jempie