Definition
An aircraft that achieves flight by flapping its wings, mimicking the motion of a bird. Lift and thrust are produced by the wing-flapping action itself rather than by fixed wings, rotors, or propellers.
Plain English
A flying machine that flies by flapping its wings like a bird does.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft design, airframe history, and discussions of unusual or experimental aircraft.
Derivation
From the Greek 'ornithos' meaning bird and 'pteron' meaning wing. So the word literally means 'bird-wing' — an aircraft that flies by moving its wings the way a bird does.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots are unlikely to operate an ornithopter in normal training, but the term helps distinguish flapping-wing aircraft from airplanes, helicopters, and other aircraft designs.
Intuition Check
An ornithopter is not simply any aircraft that looks like a bird. The key idea is that its wings flap to help produce flight.
Example Sentence 1
Leonardo da Vinci sketched designs for an ornithopter centuries before powered flight was achieved.
Example Sentence 2
Modern hobbyists sometimes fly radio-controlled ornithopters to explore bird-like flight mechanics.