Newsgroups: comp.robotics
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From: nagle@netcom.com (John Nagle)
Subject: Re: PROPOSAL: A robotic Butterlfy!
Message-ID: <nagleCtpoCH.DLy@netcom.com>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
References: <1994Jul28.153808.22030@msuvx2.memphis.edu> <ELEQIM.15.0009A00F@herts.ac.uk>
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 1994 16:55:28 GMT
Lines: 23

ELEQIM@herts.ac.uk (Ian Munro) writes:
>>So, what does everyone think?  I've thought it out extensively (although I
>>admit I haven't set pencil to paper and worked out the physics of it), and

>I was thinking about building a time machine but I haven't worked out the 
>physics of it :-)

       Anyone ever see the Wham-O (tm) Bird?  This was a wind-up 
ornithopter, a machine that really did fly by flapping its wings.
A '70s toy.

       Paul MacReady's company, AeroEnvironment, once built a flying
model of a pyerodactyl, but it was several feet long.  

       MondoTronics, the shape-memory-wire people, sell a "bird" that
flaps its wings but isn't powerful enough to fly, as a demo for their
wire.

       It's not a stupid idea to want to build a flying model 
butterfly, but it's going to be tough to do.  Probably something with
a wingspan of about three feet would be feasible.

					John Nagle
