World's First Human-Powered Ornithopter

The Snowbird Human-Powered Ornithopter was designed and constructed by a team of students from the University of Toronto. On August 2nd 2010 it sustained both altitude and airspeed for 19.3 seconds, becoming the world's first successful human-powered ornithopter. Music by Nicholas Martel and Daniel Gauthier. Visit hpo.ornithopter.net.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• ornithopter
• flapping
• wing
• aviation
• aircraft
• human
• power
• world
• first
• record
• tottenham
• canada
• flight
• todd
• reichert
• pilot
• university
• toronto
• delaurier
• snowbird
• cameron
• robertson
• engineering
• aerospace
• FAI

[MrROTD]

fill it up with helium I'm telling you it's the key to sustained flight

[seckixf]

nice glider wangs



[BWCmike]

What I don't get is, if I held a wing or even parachute, and had a car pull me, I could stay up for 19.3 seconds to. It doesnt mean Im sustaining flight tho. It should be 5 minutes in the air or something more realistic

[Jere9my9uh]

so cool

[multilis2]

This is not the first. A redneck guy strapped a rocket engine to his car, to see how fast he could make it go. He fired up the rocket, car went airborne at several hundred miles an hour and smashed into a hill and he died. Since he died he sadly couldn't tell anyone that he stuck his hand out window and flapped it which may have added to lift. If a car pulled glider counts then this guy counts too!

[gingerssuck]

bwah hahahahahahba



[gingerssuck]

you should say worlds first human powered zero lift ornithopter, or big waste of time/money poorly maneuverable glider

[kingsamin]

@jay08641 correct me if i'm wrong, but there has been human powered flight. just not in an ornithopter.

[BrandonShayMusic]

LEVERAGE+AEROSPACE=FUTURE. AND IF YOU LAF AT ME, WELL. L(EVERAGE)A(EROSPACE)F(UTURE)

[BrandonShayMusic]

THAT BEGINNING QUOTE IS FROM SEARL. :) I LOVE YOU

[Tim34931]

Where can you buy this stuff. Please, please get some company to make snowbirds all around the world. It would lighten my day and it would be so cool to see them flying everywhere... I would buy one!

[jay08641]

Sorry, this is a glider. It's powered by the car towing it and then glides once it releases the tow rope. The fact the human powered flapping of the wings kept it aloft longer is a big achievement. Congratulations to all! But to claim human powered flight is just not authentic.