Institute to hold workshop on aircraft that flies by flapping its wings

When Leonardo da Vinci drew a detailed diagram of a man-powered aircraft in 1845, he may not have expected its successors to come this far. For, when the Aerospace Engineering Department of the Indian Institute of Technology—Bombay (IIT-B) begins its annual festival Zephyr on Friday, one of the biggest highlights will be a first-of-its kind workshop on the Ornithopter—an aircraft that flies by flapping its wings.

On Saturday, Ornithopter specialist Nathan Chronister will conduct a two-hour workshop where a few students will be shown how to build and fly such an aircraft.

Around the world, ornithopters have been looked at as an alternate to fixed-wing aircrafts, and its study, design and manufacturing is a hobby among enthusiasts.

An ornithopter can be a light-weight model powered by rubber-bands or a larger model that is radio controlled. “Chronister has also bagged a patent when it comes to ornithopters. They can be of different kinds, including remote-controlled ones,” says Aadil Shah, general secretary, Zephyr ‘08. In order to make the workshop more interesting, Chronister has already sent some model kits to be used at the festival.

Having worked with ornithopters for over 20 years, Chronister owns a company called Ornithopter Zone that allows people to buy kits and use them to create their own aircraft. At the workshop, he will do a slideshow presentation and live demonstration of the aircraft. “The workshop will be attended by 60 people in two slots,” says Shah, adding some students could build their own ornithopters and fly them.

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