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.

Chronister’s flying demonstration will feature a 110 scale model of a practical flapping-wing aircraft that he has envisioned for personal transport, which, if it ever comes to be used, will use much lesser amount of fuel. He has also authored Ornithopter Design Manual, a book which is used by hobbyists around the world.

Though there have been some successful manned-ornithopter flights previously, still it continues to be a major interest among people interested in such aircrafts. K Nandakumar from Chennai developed a remote-controlled ornithopter of original design in 2004, which was believed to be the first in India. The micro air vehicle or MAV variant of ornithopters can carry cameras that are controlled through radio.

Also at Zephyr: Daniel Raymer and Tessy Thomas
American aerospace design engineer Daniel Raymer and Tessy Thomas, associate project director of the Agni-III missile, will also be at the festival this year, sharing their experiences with the students. Raymer, who is president of the design and consulting company, Conceptual Research Corporation, has helped design the F-22, B-2, and T-45 bombers.  Raymer would be talking about the projects he has headed and the importance of innovation. Thomas, also known as the ‘Missile Woman of India’, would be talking about her work as the project director of the upgraded 3000-km range Agni-III. An expert on solid propellant systems, Thomas is one among a team of 200 women working on the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).