The Ornithopter Society

Founded in 1984, The Ornithopter Society launched the modern resurgence of flapping wing aircraft. Ornithopter Society publications, including the Ornithopter Design Manual, Flapping Wings newsletter, and online content, provide the ultimate resource for those seeking to build ornithopters or those interested in the history and culture of this unique phenomenon.

Ornithopter (definition): An ornithopter is a manned aircraft or an unmanned flying machine in which the driving airfoils have a flapping, reciprocating, or oscillating motion, instead of the rotary motion used in airplanes and helicopters.

Download the Ornithopter Design Manual

We are making the Ornithopter Design Manual available for free download. The Ornithopter Design Manual, written by Patrick Deshaye and Nathan Chronister, offers the only comprehensive treatment of ornithopter design and construction techniques. You can also download the Flapper Facts and Flapping Wings newsletters from 1984 through 2002.

Ornithopter Design Manual (PDF)
Flapping Wings Newsletter (1984-2002)

You can visit the How To section of this web site to get a quick introduction to building your own ornithopters. Then read the Ornithopter Design Manual and newsletters when you want to learn more. If you find these resources helpful, please consider supporting the work of the Ornithopter Society. Your small donation helps cover the cost of maintaining and updating the website, while most of the work to bring you the site is done on a voluntary basis.

Why Build Ornithopters?

People will often ask what ornithopters are used for. Above any other purpose, ornithopters are a great vehicle for learning. For high school studionts, ornithopters are a great way to learn about engineering, physics, math, electronics, and more! At the university level, ornithopters are part of the advanced research into aerodynamics, bird flight, and robotics. Individual hobbyists also enjoy learning new skills as they rise to the challenge of flapping wing flight!

Some other applications for ornithopters have been implemented. Like other types of radio controlled aircraft, ornithopters can be used to carry cameras. Ornithopters can be made to look like a real bird or insect, so they could be used for covert spying. Ornithopters have also been used in studies of wildlife where an aircraft resembling a real bird was needed. Another application that has been tested is the use of ornithopters to chase birds away from airports. Bird control specialists use a variety of methods to keep birds away from runways. If an airplane runs into birds, it can receive damage causing it to crash, so this is an important part of airline safety.

Of course, there has been some effort to develop ornithopters as a type of manned aircraft. Adalbert Schmid, who in 1942 built the first successful manned ornithopter, believed that flapping wings would be more fuel-efficient than airplanes. Others observed the high maneuverability of birds and thought that manned ornithopters could emulate that ability. Regardless of whether that is true, there are many people who just want to have the experience of flying like a bird.

How Ornithopters Got Started

The idea of the ornithopter came from ancient times. Three thousand years ago, Assyrian stone carvings depicted God riding in an ornithopter. The Greek legend of Daedalus and Icarus tells of two men who built wings in order to escape from a labyrinth. In 875 AD, Abbas ibn Firnas in Spain constructed a bird-inspired aircraft, with which he made the first gliding flight by a human.

In the 1870s, the focal point for the development of aviation was in Paris. Unmanned aircraft were built, including ornithopters, as a stepping stone to the development of manned flight. The rubber-band-powered ornithopters developed then formed the basis for modern designs that are built by students and hobbyists today.

Steam and internal combustion engines were then used, with some great advancements taking place in Germany prior to World War II. Alexander Lippisch, who is also known for developing the Me 163 Komet rocket-powered fighter, led a team of young researchers who perfected the design of engine-powered, unmanned ornithopters, achieving successful flights up to 16 minutes. Building on that work, in 1942 Adalbert Schmid made the first successful flight of an engine-powered, manned ornithopter. Although there have been a few others, Schmid's manned ornithopter still stands as the most successful to this day.

The first radio-controlled ornithopter was built by Percival Spencer in 1960. He also built a series of more bird-shaped, engine-powered ornithopters. During the 1990s, Spencer's design was adapted for electric power and came to greatly influence the design of our modern RC ornithopters. Read more ornithopter history.