School Contests

If you're a science teacher, an ornithopter contest in your school is a great way to motivate your students. They will learn important math, science, and technology concepts through inquiry and real-world experience. High school students can compete with relatively simple designs like the Ornithopter Zone's Phoenix kit, and they can add their own modifications to improve flight times. A school gym is the perfect setting for such a contest. For sample contest rules and more instructional ideas related to ornithopters, see our Teachers Guide.

Science Olympiad

Science Olympiad is a national competition for middle and high school students. Students from different schools compete in various science-related contest events. Science Olympiad is now offering a trial event for flying bird models. If your school participates in Science Olympiad, tell your group advisor that you would like to give this a try. Here are some helpful resources:

• Flying Bird trial event rules
• Kits for Science Olympiad
• Contest Flying Tips

The Flying Bird event began in North Carolina, and it's a regular event in that state's Science Olympiad competition. For more info, visit the NC Science Olympiad web site.

AMA Nationals

Adults can get involved in ornithopter competition too! The Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) has an ornithopter event in conjunction with its annual indoor model airplane competition. The contest is held in Johnson City, Tennessee, in a giant sports dome! Even so, part of the challenge is regulating the climb so the ornithopter won't hit the ceiling. Amazing flight times are possible. Maybe you can break Roy White's record of 21 minutes, 44 seconds! The ornithopters are more interesting and varied than fixed-wing contest models, and the ornithopter contest event always gets a great reaction from spectators!

Current US Records Indoor Rubber-Powered Ornithopter
Category	Ceiling Height	Time	Set By
Cat. I	< 8 m	9:01	Roy White, 1995
Cat. II	8-15 m	10:01	Roy White, 1995
Cat. III	15-30 m	15:02	Ray Harlan, 2003
Cat. IV	> 30 m	21:44	Roy White, 1995

If you would like to compete in the AMA nationals, you will need to join the AMA ahead of time and then register for the contest. AMA membership information and contest rules can be found on the AMA web site. They also have information on local clubs that fly indoor model airplanes.

Some people are afraid to build an ornithopter because they think it's going to be hard. However, some excellent resources are available, making it much easier to prepare for indoor ornithopter competition than it was in the past. You don't have to design your own ornithopter to compete. If you have a good bit of experience with rubber-powered airplanes, and if you would like to try competing in the AMA ornithopter event, here are some plans that will be helpful for you.

These designs do not qualify for Science Olympiad, and they are too difficult for beginning ornithopter hobbyists. If you're just starting out, you will be better off getting some experience with simpler ornithopter kits before trying to use these plans.

Rara Avis  Monoplane contest model designed by Roy White.

Butterfly I  Biplane ornithopter from Lester Garber.

Canard Biplane  by Frank Kieser.

Fancy Girl III  by Frank Kieser.

Other Resources

"Canard Ornithopter Construction" by Frank Kieser: Page 1 and Page 2
This article is from the January 1988 issue of Flapper Facts.

Rubber motors info. Intended for model airplanes but also applies to ornithopter contest flying.