Small model Ornithopter apparatus

Small model Ornithopter apparatus, scale 1:12, made by the late John D. Batten

This model formed part of a research programme conducted over several years by John Batten to build a human-powered ornithopter. The weight or the wings is borne by springs made up of twisted skeins of silk, as in a medieval siege catapult. The human effort is intended to beat the wings downward and to set up resonant flapping motion. The model is a 1:12 scale trial piece for the intended full-size craft.