How does something fly?

Can gravity be
defied? What is the principle of an
Ornithopter? What is the efficiency of an
Ornithopter? Are Newtonian Laws valid for
an object in flight?

The Physics
behind an
Ornithopter
Have you ever wondered what it takes to
Fly? Read this to find out.

Simarpreet Singh
York University
211 257 177

The Physics behind an Ornithopter

0
How does something fly?

If you are looking for an answer to the question above, you should be rest assured that you will
get your answer after you read this.

© Horst Räbiger

Physical equilibrium is the key here. It is an absolute requirement for a straight and level flight.
The Physics behind an Ornithopter

The basic four forces that affect an Ornithopter (or any flying object in general), are the assist
forces (Thrust and Lift) and the resistive forces (Gravity and Drag). At any time in flight these
should be proportional to each other, or else an undue presence of any one these can disturb
the flight mechanics.

1
Force One: Thrust

Thrust is created by the mechanical flapping of the wings. When the wings flap mechanically to-
and-fro, in a harmonized sequence generating lift, which consequently gives rise to an upward
thrust and the Ornithopter moves forward. As the flaps cut through the air, lift gets multiplied.
Therefore unlike a regular airplane, which generates lift and thrust independently, the
Ornithopter generates both of them simultaneously.

Force Two: Lift

Lift occurs because air flows both over and under the surface of the wing in a different manner.
The wing is designed such that the top surface is “longer” than the bottom surface in any given
cross-section. In layman terms, the distance between two points is greater along the top than
under it. This modifies the air flow. The air moving over the wing must travel a greater distance
in the same amount of time as the air that travels under it and in order to achieve this, the air
at the top surface travels at a much higher speed than the air below it.

This creates a difference in air pressure above and below – a phenomenon called as the
The Physics behind an Ornithopter

Bernoulli Effect. The pressure pushing up is greater than the downward pressure, and hence lift
is created.

Lift has different meanings in different contexts. If you’re banking, lift occurs in a slightly
sideways direction. If you’re inverted, lift actually pulls you downward towards the ground.
Although at any time during the flight, lift acts perpendicular to a line drawn parallel to the
centerline of the wing and occurs at a slightly backward angle.

2
Several factors determine how much lift is created. First, consider the angle at which the wings
hit the air. This is called as the angle of attack, which is independent of the Ornithopter’s flight
path vector. The steeper the angle more lift occurs. But if this exceeds the critical angle of
attack, the Ornithopter stalls, usually for a regular Ornithopter, the critical angle is 30°. During a
stall no lift is generated and the Ornithopter falls to the ground like a heavy piece of metal.

Force Three: Drag

Drag is the negative counterpart of thrust. The main reason behind a drag force is the air
resistance as air flows around the wing. Drag is mainly created by simple skin friction as air
molecules “stick” to the wing surface. Smoother surfaces incur less drag, while bulky structures
create additional drag. Mathematically,

Drag = ½ (ρAV2)

Some drag is generated as a reaction force to the lift, which is valid as per Newton’s 3rd Law of
Motion. In vector terminology, drag is the horizontal rearward component of thrust.
The Physics behind an Ornithopter

Force Four: Gravity

Gravity is actually a force of acceleration on an object. The Earth exerts this natural force on all
objects. It is a mass dependent force; therefore it varies from one object to another. Thrust
creates lift to counteract gravity. In order for an Ornithopter to take off, enough lift must be
created to overcome the force of gravity pushing down on the Ornithopter. Thus,

FGravity = Mg

3
Conclusion

Just Four simple Forces, all in a state of perfect equilibrium, is what it takes to get airborne.
Ornithopter utilizes the mechanical work input and converts this into power that can be used in
a meaningful way. All this is done without any involvement of external energy resources except
the human body itself. Despite a few technical limitations, the Ornithopter remains one of the
most innovative human creations ever made.

The Physics behind an Ornithopter