Many early designs for ‘heavier-than-air’ flying machines incorporated flapping wings that were modelled on bird flight (Figure 1). These did not fly, mainly because they would have needed much more power than can be supplied by human muscles. Experiments with fixed-wing gliders, kites and powered aircraft were more successful, and the Wright brothers’ first sustained, controlled, heavier-than-air powered flight in 1903 (Figure 2) paved the way for modern, fixed-wing aircraft.
Attention has recently returned to designs that mimic birds and insects. Small ornithopter (bird wing) and entomopter (insect wing) aircraft can be powered by electric or chemically fuelled motors. They fly almost silently at speeds of a few metres per second and can be guided remotely around confined spaces, making them ideal drones for remote data collection. To view a video of the H2Bird ornithopter (Figure 3) being launched from a robotic cockroach, go to: www.tinyurl.com/y8f4cjg5
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