Americans build mechanical hummingbird

A US military equipment manufacturer has built a micro-aircraft that can be used for reconnaissance purposes. The vehicle has a wingspan of 16 centimeters and flies by flapping wings.

The plane has the shape of a hummingbird and also flies like a bird with wing beats. The prototype of the so-called Nano Air Vehicle was named Nano Hummingbird and was made by hand. The small aircraft is able to take off and descend vertically, can fly forward and backward and can move sideways. The radio-controlled bird can also rotate on its axis and hang still in the air. According to the manufacturer AeroVironment Inc. is the first time that a UAV can perform such actions with moving wings and under its own power.

The device, which weighs 19 grams, contains the energy source, motors, a transmitter and a camera. The wingspan is 16 centimeters, making the device smaller than the largest hummingbirds. The Nano Hummingbird is being developed for the American defense organization Darpa and can be used both indoors and outdoors. The aircraft must be able to fly for at least eight minutes on a single battery charge and must be able to withstand moderate winds. The forward speed is approximately 18 kilometers per hour.