Now I Know What An Ornithopter Is

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Isn't that a cool word . . . "ornithopter" I ran across it on the internet today and delved into finding out what it was. An ornithopter is a type of aircraft that flies by flapping its wings kind of like birds, bats and insects do. The word "ornithopter" comes from the Greek words for "bird" and "wing". These machines generate lift and thrust through wing flapping, and they can be built on the same scale as flying a The first successful ornithopter was built way back in 1648 by a Polish man. He even used it to lift a cat during its test flight. That poor cat! It was a spring-powered craft. In 1841 a guy who I think was from Serbia was refused permission to fly like a bird flapping his wings by jumping off of St. Michael's Cathedral, so instead he snuck up to the roof of the tax office and jumped off with his homebuilt ornithopter, surviving by landing in a snow bank. There's a whole lot more information out there if you're interested. It gets pretty technical.