Riout 102T Alérion Ornithopter flapping wing airplane - photo

[Jon]

Riout 102T Alérion Ornithopter. An ornithopter is an aircraft that flies by flapping its wings.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...r_fullsize.jpg




More: https://oldmachinepress.com/2017/11/...n-ornithopter/

Previously:

wing snaps off plane, whole-plane parachute deploys safely
1950s fighter jet bomber wingtip coupling experiments - photo and video
Pivoting wing NASA airplane - GIF and video
Boeing 777 wing flexibility test to failure - video
1920s airplane wing walking

[Frank S]

With today's technology in a thinner atmosphere on a planet with lower gravity these could have potential as VTOL

[archetypex]

It will certainly come in handy for dodging Shai-Hulud on the surface of Arrakis.

(Ornithopers were described by Frank Herbert in _Dune_).

[ranald]

put teeth on it and it might be a dragon fly.

[greyhoundollie]

Exactly what I was thinking Ranald!

[IAMSatisfied]

My stomach is queazy just thinking about being onboard one of these...

[Frank S]

My stomach is queazy just thinking about being onboard one of these...

They just don't get it that flight might as well have been tried back in 1910 for all the good it did them. No winged creature flaps their wings straight up and down the action is counter productive Watch the action of a humming birds wings in slow motion or a dragon fly at bumble bee or for eloquence the graceful thrust of a Condor eagle or large hulk on take off.

[ranald]

Queazy! My friend asked if I wanted to go on a free flight with his friend; an airtraffic controller & flight instructer. The Guy needed to keep up his hours. Of course I said yes and replaced his wife who wasn't keen to fly in a light aircraft.

While flying over beautiful Moretonbay islands, the pilot asked if we would like or mind doing aerobatics. We were both keen. Really fun! Then he handed control to my friend: I was Queazy for those couple of minutes like serious turbulance 7 I reached for the sickbag but didn't need it. When walking back across the tarmac my buddy turned around a enquired how I liked "Your first flight". The instructor/pilot/air traffic controller immediately turned around and said "That wasn't your first flight?". "yep". "Jets?" "No, that was my first flight". He was stunned and appologetic. "No worries, I really enjoyed it and I was only "Queazy" when you handed over the controls to Gary. LOL .
I've been reminded of it a few times lately esp last night while watchingAntique Roadshow and an interviewed pilot who test flew the concorde, tried a 360 roll as did the other pilot ( or what ever that manover is called).= now that is aerobatics in my mind. Concorde didn't start service till 1976 but much testing was done before that time after 1969.
Makes one humble to think about dangerous testing such like VTOL.

cheers

[greyhoundollie]

Looks like a gooney bird (albatross) coming down the runway!

[ranald]

LOL, very apt description, Dickens couldn't have found a better simile. ha ha