
Ornithopter
Competition & Contests
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:
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.
|