Bird wing motion - simulator or build arm

When in a previous career I was the instrumentation person on a crew building a robotic arm that evolved to lay carbon composite thread on shaped tools for the Aerospace company I worked for at the time. We were building aircraft panels and wound up making better ones that were done by hand, at that time. I did lots of mechanical/electronic/electrical stuff on that gig. What is your question? The bird thing I have not done, but this looks interesting for sure.

I expect Mr Da Vinci and many other have tried.

Me and a mate tried a simple rubber powered crank driven model many years ago it 'flew' upsidedown like a like a demented butterfly mostly straight down from the launch tower... but it caused much mirth and was therefore deemed a success!

A swash plate with a yoke that pivots in line with the swash plate centre will imitate a birds action, you will need to let the air pass through the wing on the up stroke. It is an idea I had many years ago for a gland less boat propeller, just a flexible rubber joint. One of those things I never got round to doing anything about.

Regards JD.

Could not remember how it worked so have done the following sketch. It has a rotatory movement and displaces on a full cycle. (No need to let air through on the up stroke). This was part of an idea I had years ago, I made my model and took it along to the university for evaluation, the findings where, that it would have high crush loading on the swash plate bearing? that was for a different application from above, so if anyone plays around with the idea be aware.

Nice...

Have to remember that the feathers themself contibute insofar as they allow air to pass between them on the up stroke, but not on the down stroke.

Bird wing motion is a changing pitch orbital motion that is difficult to simulate or construct... Google "flapping flight", MIT animal locomotion robotics, etc.

Go and look at the following:-

http://www.ornithopter.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornithopter

What you are trying to build is called an Ornithopter.....its been done many times, the first link even offers plans on how to make one.

i just saw a commercial for a remote control dragon fly bout 12 inches long. Not sure its relevant ........ but neat.

Seveeral years ago "Model Airplane News" magazine had an article and plans available for a full scale turkey vulture glider. Lots of moving parts, due mainly to the wing feathers being twisted for roll instead of "standard" ailerons.

Not exactly what you want, but might be of interest.

THANKS A LOT FOR THE INPUT >>>>>> I FOUND SOME VALUABLE INFORMATION BUT>>>>>>
ACUTALLY THE WINGS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ATTACHED TO A HUMAN BODY LIKE BATMAN >> BUT NO BATWINGS ? BIRDWINGS >>>>. THEY SHALL CONSIST OF THREE SEGMENTS LIKE REAL BIRD WINGS ARM<SHOULD>FINGER and SHALL MOVE UP AND DOWN CONTROLED BY AN MECHANISM ..... Imagine BIRDMAN in a movie but his wings have to move independant of his arms up and down. Or fold back and extract whatever you may wanna call this. INPUT IS REALLY APPRECIATED.

So what movie are you working on?

Touched by an angel.

Regards JD.

Robotics experts 'talk' funny. It hurts my head.