Corrugated Flight

The flying machine was developed through an analysis of geometric principles concerning two main precedents: the dragonfly, a living precedent, and the delta coyne kite, a mechanical precedent. The varying shapes that compose the dragonfly wing determine how flexible or stiff certain areas are. Sections made up of quadrilaterals are more rigid, while pentagons and hexagons allow for more mobility, The structural frame, made out of thin plastic straws, assumes a similar function as the veins in a dragonfly wing. The geometry of the model creates a flexible structure that can bend and fold to form three-dimensional shapes, similar to how the dragonfly’s wing bends, while also allowing the wings to “flap” in the same way that a delta coyne kite flies. The “skin” is made out of iridescent cellophane wrap, which allows the kite to catch air without adding additional weight.