| Snowbird | |
|---|---|
| Role | Human-powered Ornithopter |
| National origin | Canada |
| Manufacturer | UTIAS Human-Powered Ornithopter Project |
| First flight | 31 July 2010 |
| Retired | 2 August 2010 |
| Status | retired |
| Primary user | HPO Project |
| Number built | 1 |
| Program cost | C$200,000 |
The Snowbird is a human-powered ornithopter that was built as a project of the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS). Snowbird was the first man-powered ornithopter to fly straight and level.[1][2][3]
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The first human-powered aircraft to successfully fly was the Gossamer Condor in 1977, a fixed-wing airplane with a propeller.[4] Although others have claimed to have flown like a bird under human power, those claims have never been confirmed.[4]
There have been several attempts throughout history of humans attempting to fly like a bird, under their own power. Leonardo da Vinci is frequently credited with creating the first design for a human-powered ornithopter in 1485.[5][6] Since that time, many people have tried to make human-powered flight like a bird happen.[5][7]
In 1991, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) awarded a “Diplôme d’Honneur” for the first remotely operated engine-powered ornithopter, which was developed by Professor James DeLaurier and UTIAS.[8]
A previous attempt at UofT, in 2006, resulted in the UTIAS Ornithopter No.1, which could only maintain flight with the assistance of a jet engine, but whose flapping wings were human-powered.[9] This programme was also the most recent prior attempt to get a human-powered ornithopter off the ground.[10]
The Human-Powered Ornithopter Project (HPO) started in the summer of 2006, as a spin-off of the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) flapping-wing research program.[11][12] The design was run in simulations to check feasibility before committing to construction.[13]
The aircraft has a wingspan of 32 metres (105 ft)[14] (comparable to a Boeing 737),[5][1] and weighs 43 kilograms (95 lb).[14][5][1] It cost $200,000 Cdn[14] (approx. $200,000 USD), not including donated material and time.[14] It was built primarily with carbon fibre, balsa wood, basswood and foam.[14][6] The pedals are connected to the wings through a system of pumps and pulleys.[15] Snowbird does not have launch runup equipment, because of the need to limit weight, and requires a tow-assist at launch.[4] The downward flap required 700 pounds-force (3,100 N). It was built under the supervision of professor James DeLaurier, a NASA alumnus.[14] The craft was built under the University of Toronto's Human Powered Ornithopter Project.[14] The team that built it was composed of five students.[15] The name came about when, during testing on a snowy field, the cockpit became filled with snow.[7]
The team expects that revised iterations of the aircraft with greater performance will be made.[16]
Snowbird completed successful free-flights prior to its officially monitored record run. It took to the air on 31 July 2010.[16]
For its official aviation-first flight, it was piloted by Todd Reichert, a 28-year-old PhD graduate student of the University of Toronto's Institute for Aerospace Studies.[14][17] The record flight was observed by a certified official from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI),[14] and GPS data detailing the altitude and length of flight were given to the organization for certification.[14] Snowbird flew for 19.3 seconds in a straight-and-level powered flight run under human power alone.[14][6] It averaged 25.6 kilometres per hour (15.9 mph),[5][1][6] over a length of 145 metres (476 ft).[1][6] Take-off was assisted with a tow from a car to get the aircraft up to speed, before flapping for lift-off.[1] A total of 16 flaps were used on the run to maintain height.[1] At the start of the flight, data indicates that Snowbird was able to gain height, while maintaining speed, indicating that there was more power than necessary to maintain straight-and-level flight.[18] The run occurred at the Great Lakes Gliding Club,[1][6][19] in Tottenham, Ontario,[19] on 2 August 2010,[14] at around 6:45am.[7] Reichert estimates that each stroke needed 600–700 watts (0.80–0.94 bhp), with 700–800 pounds-force (3,100–3,600 N) on each stroke.[7] Analysis of the flight afterward indicated that 15-20 power strokes is the limit of endurance for the pilot.[18] The validity of the record claim has been disputed due to prior claims and, apparent in Reichert's flight data, a downward trend in total energy and airspeed during the 19.3 second interval claimed as a sustained flight.[20]
On the last flight of 2 August 2010, a main drive line failed. Fatigue wear was noted on many components. With training of the pilot, with the intent of peaking for the record attempt, it was decided to end flights for the season.[16]
The team hopes to find a home in a museum for the aircraft and have an entry in the Guiness Book of World Records.[16]
General characteristics
Performance