Wing flapping device, photographed on December 6, 1934

Wing flapping device, photographed on December 6, 1934. The model of René de Tryon-Montalembert’s wing flapping device was constructed and photographed to illustrate its principle. The inventor was seeking to reproduce "the flap¬ping of a (bird or insect) wing "by recreating the complex movement cycles by means of a "simple, repetitive and regular rotation without any sudden movements nor intermittent braking from the machinery". Thanks to this process, high rotationspeeds became attainable, and wing-flapping flight thus possible. The model belonged to the category of ornithopters, aircraft whose struc¬ture is based on the bionic principle of birds’ flight, and who range from Daedalus’ machine to contemporary prototypes like the Exofly, inspired by ultralight Delfly drones equipped with Mylar wings. Office national des recherches scientifiques et industrielles et des inventions.