Ultra-light indoor ornithopters?

[Sparr]

Why havent I seen any information about this before? I just saw in the Nats coverage in Model Aviation that there is a category for free flight ornithopters. This year it was won with a 15:16 time using this bad boy:
http://www.nothing-inc.com/~sparr/filmorni.jpg
It looks like the rubber goes from A to B and the flapping mechanism is at B.

[Sparr]

Can no one provide any info on this? I would love to convert something like this to RC.

[Sean Kinkade]

Sparr,

The type of model in your photo has actually been around a very long time. Indoor rubber powered ornithopters are nothing new, with their basic design going back to a frenchman named Penaud in the late 1800's. They have been an AMA indoor catagory for years.
The particular model in the photo looks like a Frank Keiser canard design. I think Keiser set the AMA indoor duration record for an ornithopter back in the 70's and 80's with a similar design. His record was actually around 22 minutes or so.
That model has that abominable fixed wing though, which obviously provides most of the lift and therefore to me disqualifies it as a "true" ornithopter. I see it more as fixed wing plane with a flapping propulsion unit.


Sean Kinkade
Kinkade RC

[Sparr]

heh, yeah, that is somewhat cheating... and yes, i know what kind of model it is and that it isnt new, but why cant i find any decent info about it on the web? so far ive found nothing but a few pictures and the rules for the competition (and those rules were HARD to find).

[eflyer1234]

I think part of the reason you do not see a lot on the web is the competative nature of the event.

Another big part, knowing someone that competes in this, is age. My friend that flies these is an older gentleman that still says "I did without a computer for 68 years, why get one now?"

-Jeffrey