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Oddbird (Mach 3 Ornithoper)

1,514 atgxtg  5.5 years ago
110 downloads
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Auto Credit Based on DustyT33's Jet Bird ( fastest low altitude ornithopter? )

Note: You must start this in air, it doesn't have landing gear or launch capabilities yet.
A hybrid (hi-bird?) design, part Jet Bird, part Swift, the Oddbird is a fast ornithoper with some very odd characteristics. It decelerates when diving and accelerates when climbing. It is capable of speeds in excess of Mach 2 at 75000 feet, and will eventually pass Mach 3 at 100,00 feet.

The problem is that this appears to be a one way trip. At around the 250mph/105,000 feet mark the wings will give out an the Oddbird will break up. It will also break up if you try to cut power or fight the climb too much. You might be able to slowly throttle down and glide to a safer altitude, but I haven't managed to pull it off yet.

Spotlights

General Characteristics

Performance

  • Wing Loading 7.4lbs/ft2 (36.0kg/m2)
  • Wing Area 320.5ft2 (29.8m2)
  • Drag Points 572

Parts

  • Number of Parts 36
  • Control Surfaces 5
  • Performance Cost 348
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    1,514 atgxtg

    @Zyvx and @DustyT33 too. Check out FWG2014s Flamingo Ornithoper. It has pairs of wings flapping in alternating directions, eliminating most of the up and down motion that comes with most onirthopers. It's very steady, without a gyroscope. I think if we could incorporate that into our designs we'd get more stable flappers.
    Plus I think if we had two sets of wings we could set one to floppy to keep the VTOL capability and the other to fixed so we could keep the speed, or at least some of it.

    5.5 years ago
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    1,514 atgxtg

    @Zyvx Speed isn't everything. There's also contro,l stability, ability to take off, etc. I think the reason why we got to making fast onithopters is because other people left us good base models to work from. I haven't created much of anything new as far as Onithopers go-except maybe the pitching tail, and that is mostly cosmetic.
    When you feel like flying again, come join the party.

    5.5 years ago
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    9,165 Zyvx

    @DustyT33 @atgxtg awesome work you two. I think you guys made the fastest ornithopters in the game, or at least of what I seen so far. You might try a multi wing one for fun, it might get faster or not, it might have new results leading to who knows what. I would try this idea, but I'm working on my walking mechs again, lol. Keep up your awesome work guys.

    +1 5.5 years ago
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    1,514 atgxtg

    What I wonder now is what would happen it we hoked up pistons to that bird tail. Then we'd have five wings flapping.

    5.5 years ago
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    1,514 atgxtg

    I'll try. I don't completely understand it. First off the easy part, I streamlined the bird going from 988 drag down to 572. I estimate that was worth a 30% increase in speed.
    Then I changed the floppy hinges that helped with take off and caused that speed "glitch" that the Jet Bird had, to fixed hinged that are activated with AG1, as with the Mk IV Swift, which also causes something like a 50% increase in top speed. Both effect compound so you get 1.3x1.5=1.95 speed change, or about double the speed of the 1000 mph Swift.

    At least I think that's what happening. It could just be hamsters running on treadmills.

    5.5 years ago
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    4,076 DustyT33

    Amazing! But I'm a little confused at how it managed to reach that speed. Can you please explain it?

    5.5 years ago