Aero-Linx!

Scouring the information super airways can sometimes be a tough, if educational, task for the Aero-News staff... but it also allows us to check out some truly neat and exciting sites, so it's not that bad a gig. On any given day, we may check dozens (and often hundreds) of different sources for story ideas, and facts confirmation. And, as is the nature of our business, much of this is done on the Internet.

The ANN gang decided we probably shouldn't keep some of the neat sites, info resources, and organizations we've discovered to ourselves... so we decided to bring you Aero-Linx. These are the sites that WE check out -- when we need added perspective, a new spin on a day's topic... or just want to escape into cyber-aero-space for awhile.

Look for some of our favorite sites, coming each day to ANN via Aero-Linx. Suggestions for future Aero-Linx segments are always welcome, as well.

Aero-Linx: The Ornithopter Zone

It's amazing, but it's true! An ornithopter is a device that flies by flapping its wings - just like a real bird or insect! How is it different from an airplane or helicopter? Those machines are driven by rotating airfoils. In an ornithopter, the driving airfoils have an oscillating motion instead. This imitates nature, because there are no animals with rotating parts. The Ornithopter Zone is the ultimate resource on these exciting machines. The website has video clips, how-to articles, free plans, and a discussion forum.

FMI: www.ornithopter.org/