Means for and methods of controlling ornithopters

Details Means for and methods of controlling ornithopters Means for and methods of controlling ornithopters

1985-10-11

1987-12-15

Barefoot, Galen

Aeronautics and astronautics

Aircraft, heavier-than-air

Beating wing sustained

244 72, B64C 3302

Patent

active

047127490

ABSTRACT:
An ornithopter aircraft has at least a fuselage and four rigid wings which are tandem mounted, in pairs, on opposite sides of the fuselage, in what might be called a "dragonfly configuration". The forward wing in a first of the tandem pairs on one side of the fuselage beats upwardly simultaneously with the diagonally opposed rear wing in the tandem pair on the opposite side of the fuselage, while the remaining two wings are beating downwardly. Then, the wings reverse their direction of travel. The previously upwardly moving wings beat downwardly while the previously downwardly moving wings beat upwardly. The pitch of the wings are varied throughout the beat to produce lift on the downstroke and minimum air resistance on the upstroke, considering the forward speed of the aircraft or the lack thereof. The pitch of the wings are set at the sink angle of a glider wing flying at the same speed. A differential between the picth or stroke of the wings on opposite sides of the fuselage controls direction and banking of the ornithopter.

REFERENCES:
patent: 706198 (1902-08-01), Phares
patent: 1308784 (1919-07-01), Hoiland
patent: 1704112 (1929-03-01), Stelzer
patent: 1743516 (1930-01-01), Andrews
patent: 1752100 (1930-03-01), Meindersma
patent: 2017534 (1935-10-01), Gray
patent: 2155468 (1939-07-01), Budig
patent: 2407777 (1946-09-01), Gralunder
patent: 2578845 (1951-12-01), Schmidt

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