I'd like to see a dire eagle take off.

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

The dragons of Discworld have reasonable explanations for both. You can actually feed them stuff to "buff up" their fire breath.

Then again, most Discworld dragons are about the size of a chicken. The big ones just use magic, as their ability to fly is physically impossible.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

There's a group of aeronautical engineers that have developed a rigid-flapping-wing design that works. They've flown a test-bed aircraft that looks to be in the same size range as a Cessna 170 series, maybe thirty to forty foot wingspan about same length. At the moment they're ironing out some problems controlling roll. Given some time I know I have at least one of their papers on a HD and might be able to find some video too.

But the point is it has in fact flown. Maybe biological muscles aren't as efficient as a motor, but it proves the underlying mechanics of flapping flight are possible in weight ranges much higher than the usual. So if they could lighten the load a bit somehow (maybe gas bags like a Man'O War) and get a good run-up an object of around the size of Large to Huge dragons might theoretically be able to sustain flight. If it makes you feel better HR that a dragon needs a takeoff run equal to three times its Run speed to take flight and has a stall speed equal to X to compensate.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

You SO have to find the video and post a link, or at least find the name of the plane/experiment.

 

[avr]

An extinct bird in NZ called Haast's eagle would climb trees & launch itself from a branch. Possibly this bird used a similar tactic - launch from a branch or clifftop - to start flying?

 

[Blood Jester]

Um, yeah. You may have noticed I was not rebutting Moon Lancer, but rather building upon Moon Lancer's comment.

Just trying to keep it on-topic for an RPG-only forum.

Edit: Notice the title of the thread - "I'd like to see a dire eagle take off." I'd like to see a dire eagle, period.

Oh sorry, my bad, I must have missed it in all the sarcasm you keep using.

 

[Fifth Element]

Oh sorry, my bad, I must have missed it in all the sarcasm you keep using.

I put no sarcasm in my first post. It was pretty straightforward, I thought.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Found two of their papers on developing a model of flapping flight and the ornithopter wing. Files are too big. If anybody wants them I'll have to e-mail. Bear In mind I've got somewhere in the range of 75-80 gigs of saved files and only about 4 are music, I'm certain I saved at least some of the videos and soon as I find it I'll let you know.

EDIT: Okay I've found the link to their old website including videos of taxi tests and the first flight which ended poorly when the left wing suffered a mechanical failure shortly after take-off. They've gone quiet as a group but I saw another video elsewhere sometime during the spring of the ornithopter successfully taking off, making a standard four-leg approach pattern and landing safely. I'll continue looking for it.
Link Here http://www.ornithopter.ca/MediaGallery/Videos/index_e.html

 

[Moon-Lancer]

thanks for the link

 

[Darklone]

Huhm. Just wanted to mention that some years ago people assumed most bigger dinosaurs couldn't leave water for long cause their heart wouldn't be strong enough to pump enough blood into the head.

Now a few years later people think some nano stuff made the heart stronger.

 

[Stalker0]

Actually, it (i.e., the dire eagle) is a bird of pure fantasy.

So was the giant squid