Bill Shatzer
August 19th 03, 12:35 AM
While watching the birds at my feeder today, I noticed that they
combine marvelous manueverability with excellent V/STOL characteristics.
With modern materials and computer controls, would revisiting the
idea of ornithopers make any sense? Obivously, they were beyond the
technology of the day when da Vinci was doodling in his sketch book
but with today's composite materials, super-light weight power systems,
and computer controls which could theoretical manage flight controls
down to the last "feather", might not such things be practical today?
And could there be a useful military role for such things?
Just kinda thinking out loud.
Cheers and all,
combine marvelous manueverability with excellent V/STOL characteristics.
With modern materials and computer controls, would revisiting the
idea of ornithopers make any sense? Obivously, they were beyond the
technology of the day when da Vinci was doodling in his sketch book
but with today's composite materials, super-light weight power systems,
and computer controls which could theoretical manage flight controls
down to the last "feather", might not such things be practical today?
And could there be a useful military role for such things?
Just kinda thinking out loud.
Cheers and all,