(patrick timony) wrote:

Can anyone tell me how far back military experiments with Flapping
Flight go? I am interested in why Soaring flight is so rare in nature
but so popular with us?

Actually, the reverse is true. Whereas birds perfected the art of
soaring umpteen million years ago, us lowly land dwellers have
only recently learned to soar and we still have a long, LONG ways
to go before we attain the level of perfection of our avian friends.

I've heard that the Wright Brothers patented Wing Warping (Flapping)
and never let anyone develop planes using Wing Warping flight. Is
that true?

Orville and Wilber did not patent flapping, however, I think they did
patent wingwarping as a means of flight control.

Does that explain why the designs up until the time of the Wright Brothers
were all Bird-like flapping designs and after were all fixed wing soaring
designs?

No (see above).

Did the military pursue Wing Warping on their own? What are the most
current developments in flexible wing flight and where are they being
developed. Thanks for your help.

The most current developments of flexwing flight can be seen on a
common flexwing trike or hangglider. The pilot simply moves a control
bar left or right which simultaneously shifts the center of gravity
(CG) and increases or decreases wing washout so as to effect a turn in
the desired direction. With regards to wing warping, I've seen photos
somewhere on the web depicting a NASA F-18 experimenting with wing
warping.

-Mike Marron