2
Q&A
The angle of the tail changes the way the bird-style
ornithopter flies.
Using the weight
Clip the weight to the tip of the
wing and attach it with tape.
Now, when the ornithopter flies,
it will circle toward the
weighted tip. If it circles even
without the weight, place the
weight on the opposite tip to
straighten out the flight path.
The more forward you place the
weight, the more effect it has.
Hold the base at eye
level and press the
trigger. The
ornithopter launches
from the catapult.
If you are not using the
catapult, hold the fuselage
firmly and rotate the knobs
on the crank to wind the
elastic.
Flying and adjusting the ornithopter
With your hand on the
fuselage pressing the crank to
keep the elastic from
unwinding, move your hand
forward and gently toss the
ornithopter into the air.
You can adjust the ornithopter to make it fly in different
ways.Make adjustments and then fly the ornithopter to
fine tune it.
Launching without the catapult
If the tail is angled up, the
ornithopter moves up and
down as it flies (pitching).
If flying in a curve, rotate
the tail slightly.
Make the tail angle
smaller for ordinary
flight. If flying in a curve,
rotate the tail more.
If the tail is near
horizontal, the
ornithopter falls sharply
downward.
If you fly the ornithopter outdoors, the wind may help it fly a great
distance. Fly it away from traffic where you have plenty of space. Do not
launch the ornithopter at another person. Doing so may cause injury.
Note the angle of launch.
Handmade ornithopters
almost always bear to
either the left or the right.
Adjust the curve of flight
by changing the tail angle
or using weights as
explained below.
Q: The plane does not fly straight, or even very well.
A: The wing film may be taped on unevenly. Use the spares to tape on new wing films.
Q: It is difficult to turn the crank.
A: Recheck the front frame assembly. (If it is a bird-style ornithopter, pay particular attention to the meshing of the wing gears,
which is step 3 on page 2.)
Q: The crankshaft gets hard to turn at one spot in each revolution.
A: The crank may have become bent. Adjust the rubber cord axis of the crankshaft and the controlling rod axis so they are parallel.
Another possibility is that the wing film is stretched too tight. Adjust the tension so that there is a little play when the carbon
shaft is at its lowest position.
Q: The ornithopter begins falling as soon as it is launched.
A: The rubber band of the catapult may be weak. Try double or triple looping a regular rubber band. The strength is good when the
plane flies out parallel to the catapult slider. The angle of the tail and the launch angle are also important. Check these as well.
Q: I want the bird-style ornithopter to fly for an even longer period of time.
A: The ornithopter will fly longer if you use a longer elastic of the same weight. The best elastic you can currently get is FAI rubber.
It will fly about 1.5 times longer.
Q: The tail doesn’t stay adjusted.
A: The stopper may be loose. Once you have adjusted the tail, keep it in place with cellophane tape.
Q: The safety cover comes off too easily.
A: Attach it with an instant adhesive or other material.
Q: The elastic broke. Or it is no longer long enough.
A: Replace it with elastic for model aircraft (3 x 1 mm), which is sold commercially. If you can get FAI rubber, that performs the best.
Q: The insect-style ornithopter flies up. I want it to fly for a longer period of time.
A: The thrust is too great. Try winding it about 40 times. It can also be made to fly longer by making the elastic half as long, having
only a single loop and winding it more times.
Q: Can I replace the wing film?
A: You can use plastic grocery bags you get from supermarkets or convenience stores. Try to find one the same thickness (20 microns)
as the wing film in the kit. Plastic bags for produce are generally light and give good flights.
31号英訳0614.indd 2 11/06/14 18:21
