World's First Flying Ornithopter

Canadians have constructed ornithopter, an aircraft that flies by flapping its wings. Engineering PhD candidate at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies Todd Reichert has finally achieved a feat that has eluded humanity's finest engineers since the time of Leonardo da Vinci who sketched a machine, powered by a human pilot's muscles. He has even piloted this machine making it flying 19.3 seconds, and covering a distance of 145 meters at an average speed of 25.6 kilometers per hour.

The ornithopter’s name is the “Snowbird”. It is constructed mainly from wire, carbon fiber, and wood. Its weight is only 94lb (42 kilograms) despite having a 105-foot wingspan comparable to that of a Boeing 737. Its pilot powers the flapping wings by pedaling like a cyclist, one of the most efficient ways to generate energy using the human body.

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