Now this is truly a breakthrough

[teecee]

Magic?.. nah, just some smart developers. Teecee.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1314509/Human-powered-aircraft-makes-aviation-history-fly-using-flapping-wings.html

[spud]

Kind of a bugger to get the video to play BUT once it did it was obvious that the aircraft did not fly by flapping its wings.  When the towline was released the plane never gained an inch of altitude, it simply slowly settled as it glided to the end of the field.  There is a visible LOSS of altitude with each upward movement of the wing tips.  But it might be really good at threshing wheat.

[teecee]

So you don't think that the flapping helped keep the thing aloft longer that if it had just glided? I tend to disagree, but hey, what does it matter.. interesting experiment. Teecee.

[Laurie Doering]

Kind of a bugger to get the video to play BUT once it did it was obvious that the aircraft did not fly by flapping its wings.  When the towline was released the plane never gained an inch of altitude, it simply slowly settled as it glided to the end of the field.  There is a visible LOSS of altitude with each upward movement of the wing tips.  But it might be really good at threshing wheat.

This is just the beginning.

To quote "On August 2nd 2010 it sustained level flight for 19.3 seconds, becoming the world's first successful human-powered ornithopter."

[skypilot]

So you don't think that the flapping helped keep the thing aloft longer that if it had just glided? I tend to disagree, but hey, what does it matter.. interesting experiment. Teecee.

I was wondering that too.

[alan2]

First test flight , maybe a short hop was the plan.

It has a very interesting wing flap movement , the curling of the wingtips movement reminded me of an eagles motion.

[Matthew Kane]

These guys will do a few more experiments with this. I would like to see it fly longer and sustain flight. That would prove it works.

[spud]

Just watched the 3 videos linked to on the other thread and unless you can gain altitude, and it seemed in one video that a drift to the aircraft's left was not corrected.  If your not climbing and not controlling directions your just a passenger in a very expensive glider pedaling your heart out.  But the aircraft does fly and flap its wings so it IS the first ornithopter.

Reminds me of the folks who buy sail boats to relax.  If you have ever sailed it is anything but relaxing.  I get in this ... whatever and pedal like a fiend fly 10' off the ground hope a tree does not pop up and gently touch down 20 seconds later.  Well, like the Wright brothers they have to start somewhere.