Products

ZXO-3 Ornithopter

This is a ornithopter kit that we produced for a few years. If you’ve never built an ornithopter you don’t know what your missing. Ornithopters rely on their flapping wings to propel them through the air like a bird. Watching one fly is like looking at a flying piece of art. 

Bellow are links to download the PDF files of the plans, illustrated instruction manual and parts list.

Pages one and two of the plans will need to be printed on legal paper and make sure your printer is not set to shrink the image to a best fit for the paper. Otherwise the full size plans may no longer be full sized. 
 
Amendments to instruction manual:
The instructions recommend using crimped aluminum tubes to hold the connecting rods in place. While this works I would recommend using small pieces of heat shrink tubing instead. Shrink it to size and then wick a little glue under the heat shrink.

Even though the prototype flew well on two loops of 1/8” rubber I have since found the model flies much better on two loops of 3/16”

You can use a small plastic bead or washers behind the wing spars as spacers to help prevent rubbing. I’ve also switched to using smaller aluminum tubing to prevent play in the mechanism.
 

Friction is your enemy. I usually lubricate both the wing hinge points and the crank shaft with some 3-in-one oil. I also have a precision oil applicator I got from Radio Shack that works well too. It’s important to be careful when applying the oil so you don’t get any on the tissue. I also like to keep the oil off the rubber since I’m not for sure how rubber-friendly that kind of oil is.

I’ve built many of these models and each one flies a little different. Some fly straight off the board and some require a little adjustment.

Parts List

Full Size Plans Page #1

Full Size Plans Page #2

Illustrated Instruction Manual

I have also created an alternate tail design which was inspired by a bat. The design can be seen in the video below.
Click here for a rough plan of the Bat Tail seen in the video bellow.

If you want your model to look like the picture above. Visit our page on how to print decals on tissue. Here you will find decals you can download for the ZXO-3.
Printing Decals on Tissue Paper.