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The Dune Ornithopter, Movie And Book
In the recent movie version of Dune, directed by Denis Villeneuve, the famous ornithopter of Dune is presented this way:
📸 Ornithopter Flyby | par Christopher Hosken @cjhosken
— DUNE ⓈⒻ 🐁🌕 (@DuneSF) May 11, 2022
➡️ https://t.co/4o1X3AotvG#FrankHerbert #Novel #SciFiBook#DuneArt #FanArt #SciFiArt #Dune pic.twitter.com/qnEtX6wSDc
This design is reminiscent of an actual ornithopter design, the Riout 102T Alérion ornithopter, which was an experimental aircraft designed in the Thirties:
The Riout 102T Alérion ornithopter was an experimental aircraft resembled a dragonfly. Behind the cockpit were two pairs of flapping wings. The two-spar wings had metal frames and were fabric-covered. On 12 April 1938, the wings failed during a wind tunnel test. pic.twitter.com/dhdSglw1io
— Marlène Aviation (@AviationMarlene) February 14, 2022
The 1984 movie version of Dune offered something more reminiscent of the space ships from Buck Rogers serials of the Thirties:
The original version of ornithopters gave more the impression of a folded wing craft; the graphic is from the original publication in Galaxy:
Paul fastened his safety harness, saw that his mother was secure, checked the aircraft. The wings were at full spread-rest, their delicate metal interleavings extended. He touched the retractor bar, watched the wings shorten for jet-boost takeoff the way Gurney Halleck had taught him. The starter switch moved easily. Dials on the instrument panel came alive as the jetpods were armed.
(Ornithopter from 'Dune' by Frank Herbert; click link for more pictures)
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