• Powered by human beings, the Snowbird ornithopter uses no fuel to fly

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    Ever dreamed of sporting a pair of wings before? Well, these might not be the feathered type you’ve been day dreaming about, though it certainly is the closest human beings can get to flying with wings! Designed by Todd Reichert, of the University of Toronto, a PhD at the U of T Institute for Aerospace Studies, the ornithopter is Leonardo Da Vinci’s dream alive. Completely powered by a human being – no fossil fuels or anything alike used here – the ornithopter stayed up for a good 19.3 seconds and covered 145 meters off the ground. Christened the Snowbird, the ornithopter weighs in at around 43 kilograms. It boasts a wingspan as large as a Boeing 737, a whole 32 meters. Made from carbon fiber, foam and balsa wood, the Snowbird cost around $200,000 and took 4 years to build.



    Blast from the past or the future of aviation? Only time will tell! This one’s certainly sufficiently green though!
    [TheStar]

    Posted in Topics:Transport, Tags: , on September 24, 2010