If a wing flaps in Canada, and nobody’s paying attention, does it make a stir? Luckily for aeronautical engineer James DeLaurier, who last Saturday saw his one-seat ornithopter fly for the first time, a reporter at The Toronto Star who shares his fascination with flapping flight got the story out. The aircraft flapped its way into the air (with a boost from a small jet engine), climbed to about 3 feet above the ground, and sustained flight for 1,200 feet and 14 seconds. It returned to the runway and tipped over onto its nose, damaging the gear, reportedly the result of an encounter with a crosswind. But it beat by two seconds the Wright brothers’ first flight, and that was good enough for DeLaurier. “It is a perfect day,” he told the Star after the flight. “If I have the big one now, I’ll die happy.” The pilot, Jack Sanderson, was fine. DeLaurier says the ornithopter now will likely be repaired and then retire to a museum. To fly farther, it would need a bigger wing, and that would require a bigger source of money. Roll control also needs modification, he said.
Manned Ornithopter Flies In Toronto
Key Takeaways:
- Aeronautical engineer James DeLaurier's one-seat ornithopter achieved its first successful flapping flight, lasting 14 seconds and covering 1,200 feet, surpassing the duration of the Wright brothers' initial flight.
- The ornithopter, which used a small jet engine for a boost, climbed to about 3 feet before landing and tipping over due to a crosswind, causing minor damage to its gear, though the pilot was uninjured.
- DeLaurier expressed his elation, considering the day "perfect," despite the incident.
- The ornithopter is expected to be repaired and then retired to a museum, as further flight development would necessitate a larger wing, more funding, and roll control modifications.
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