Victorian Experiments - The Ornithopter

Pre 1900s

Whilst balloons allowed manned flight, inventors recognised that controlled flight required suitable methods of propulsion. Many systems were experimented with such as hot-air engines, gunpowder powered and compressed air to name a few.

Inventors drew inspiration from the flight of birds, especially to devise a way of flapping wings. Many years before manned balloon flight Leonardo Da Vinci had ideas for a flying machine kept in the air by the beating of its wings. This machine is called an Ornithopter.

(Sketch showing) - Leonardo da Vinci's: Ornithopter

Soon after the success of Stephenson's Rocket steam engine on the Liverpool & Manchester Railway, in 1829 a Mancunian Frederick D.Artingstall constructed a full-scale steam-powered Ornithopter.

Artingstall built a very light steam-engine and suspended it by a cord from the ceiling. To the piston-rod he attached wings, which opened like a Venetian blind on the up stroke and closed during the down stroke, moving through an arc of 80°

Artingstall noted: When steam was turned on the wings worked vigorously, but the machine jerked up and down. It rushed from side to side, and, in fact, performed all kinds of gymnastic movements except flight. This experiment was terminated by the explosion of the boiler.

A second attempt using four wings instead of two, in order to keep up a continuous buoyancy, resulted in a second explosion; after which the experiments were abandoned. Whilst no drawings exist of Artingstall's Ornithopter, maybe the design below was what he had in mind.

(Photograph Left showing) - Example of a Steam Powered Ornithopter Credit Stanislav Petrek

Artingstall lived at 248 Collyhurst Road in Manchester. The house is no longer standing however there is an aviation link to the present. The company H. Marcel Guest Ltd (HMG) currently have their premises in that location.

They supplied fabric dope and paints for many aircraft produced in the Manchester aircraft factories since 1930 and in 2015 they provided free paint fort he full repainting of our own Vulcan XM603.

HMG
HMG Paints Ltd