Definition
orthopters
noun
- Aircraft or machines designed to fly by flapping wings in imitation of bird flight, rather than using fixed or rotating wings.
Usage: Plural of orthopter; Technical/aeronautical term; Also called ornithopters in some contexts
Examples
- Engineers have been designing orthopters for centuries, inspired by the flight of birds.
- Modern orthopters use lightweight materials and electric motors to achieve sustained flight.
- The museum displayed several prototype orthopters from the early aviation era.
- Researchers continue to study orthopters as a potential alternative to conventional aircraft.
- Leonardo da Vinci sketched designs for orthopters in his notebooks.