Re: Ornithopters
In reply to #5137 Ornithopters by Steven Owens
Chuck Hamilton asks: : Subject: Ornithopters : : I noticed that the Astrogator's Guide to Diaspora contained a couple : of references to ornithopters. What are these? I remember them from : Frank Herbert's _Dune_, where they seemed to be desert gliders which : became airborne by either VTOL or perhaps hopping. So can anyone : describe an ornithopter, or point to the location of a good descrip- : tion? : : Thanks. : : Chuck Hamilton [email removed] An ornithopter is an airplane that flies by flapping its wings, the way a bird flies. DaVinci thought they would make sense. A few designs have been tried but they invariably exceed structural limitations and they're not terribly comfortable. Start your search with a good technology encyclopedia, browse the aviation section of the library, and page through Janes. - -- Richard Johnson [email removed] The thing about the number 2, like pi and e, giving it such power is that it is part of a small, conspiratorial, cabal of universal constants that controls everything.