Potential of ornithopters for quiet drones

quietdrones2026 Tracking Number 25

This paper considers the potential of an ornithopter drone as an inherently quieter solution than rotorcraft for purposes such as delivery, monitoring, inspection and filming. It is well known that aerodynamically generated sound increases very rapidly with speed of a blade through the air. The wings of an ornithopter are also its means of propulsion, and in cruise the velocity of the wings through the air is comparable to the velocity of the aircraft itself, so their velocity is approaching the minimum possible. Thus there is the potential for much quieter operation with the low speed wings of ornithopters compared with the high speed blades of rotorcraft. In many cases, what is required is a drone that can both cruise to its delivery or monitoring site, and then hover there. It is pointed out that an ornithopter can be realised that can both cruise and hover and make a smooth and continuous transition between these two flight modes*. Such a design is also capable of vertical take-off and landing. A further feature is that the design does not have to use flexible or membrane wings, allowing a durable and fatigue resistant design. *Patent applied for.