This page is a repository for posts regarding the development of a motor-driven ornithopter. These posts were originally made on rcgroups.com and this page is meant to organize them in chronological order.

  1. Gearbox construction

  2. Adding a second stage to the gearbox

  3. Adding wings

  4. Completing the frame and adding the electronics

  5. Initial test flights

  6. Sucessful controlled flight

  7. Cambered wings and bias springs

  8. Arduino based glide lock

  9. Wingtip extensions

  10. Clipped tips and rigid LE spars

  11. shortened wings and bent diagonal spar

  12. Foam wings with skewed hinge and assymetric elasticity

  13. Assymetric elasticity via LE hinge

  14. Doped fabric wings with bent spar - part 1

  15. Doped fabric wings with bent spar - part 2

  16. Doped fabric wings with bent spar - part 3

  17. Simple mechanism for active twist - part 1

  18. Simple mechanism for active twist - part 2

  19. Active twist - Initial flights on 2cell lipo

  20. Active twist - Stronger pinion and first flights on 3cell lipo

  21. Reinforced gearbox and high altitude flight

  22. Glide lock tests and crank failure

  23. Reinforced conrods with ball bearings

  24. Heavy streamlined wings

  25. Return to lower mass wings

  26. Rounded tips and elliptic planform

  27. Short wings at high amplitude

  28. Long extended tips with taper

  29. Experiments with resonance springs and ESC configuration

  30. Shortened extended tips

  31. Fuselage cowling - Final configuration