FlyTech Dragonfly
The Flytech Dragonfly is a remote-controlled flying toy manufactured by WowWee. The Dragonfly has been incorrectly billed as the world's first commercially available RC ornithopter (flapping wing aircraft).[citation needed] It was actually preceded by several other products, including Hobbytechnik's Skybird, Park Hawk, and Slow Hawk radio controlled ornithopters, and the Cybird radio-controlled ornithopter from Neuros.
The Dragonfly is made from lightweight but strong materials and has a crash-resistant structure. It is rechargeable and has multiple modes for beginner and advanced users. The Dragonfly is not a robot like the majority of WowWee's current products, such as the Robosapien and the Roboreptile. Replacement wings are available for purchase.
History[edit]
The Dragonfly was invented by Sean Frawley and Dan Getz who began experimenting with ornithopters while they were still teenagers.[1] The four-winged design of the Dragonfly was based on a previous rubber-band-powered ornithopter kit designed by Nathan Chronister and manufactured by The Ornithopter Zone. It also uses the same flapping wing design as the DelFly. The newly available micro-sized motors and batteries developed for cellular telephones made it possible to build an electric-powered, radio-controlled version. Mr. Frawley has since earned a degree in aerospace engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and now works for WowWee.[2] The Dragonfly was first introduced at the January 2007 CES show in Las Vegas, and was being sold in RadioShack stores in the United States in February 2007.
Hardware[edit]
The Dragonfly is made of lightweight materials that are strong and crash-resistant. Its gears and internal frame are made of Delrin. These parts, and its other internal electronics, are protected by a body molded from Expanded Polypropylene. Carbon fiber rods give the Dragonfly's wings strength, while Mylar film give them lift and thrust.[3] At 25 grams, its very light nature makes it easily susceptible to gentle wind currents.
The Dragonfly operates for approximately 5 to 10 (rarely 15) minutes on a single charge of its lithium polymer battery. The Dragonfly recharges by plugging into its remote control unit, which itself requires 6 AA batteries. Charging time is about 20 minutes.
Other versions[edit]
- FlyTech Dragonfly comes in multiple colors, blue and green are the most commercially available, while red/orange ones are less common.
- One version of the Dragonfly is designed to resemble Barry B. Benson from the 2007 DreamWorks animated film Bee Movie.
- A Toys-R-Us exclusive variant called the Hornet had a more wasp-like body.
References[edit]
- ^ Winerman, Lea (2002). Teen Biz Flies High, Science World, Sep 27, 2002
- ^ Marriott, Michael (2007). If Leonardo Had Made Toys, The New York Times, Feb 2, 2007
- ^ Block, Jeff (2004). Interview With Sean Frawley, Creator of the FlyTech Dragonfly Archived 2007-05-02 at the Wayback Machine RoboCommunity.com, Apr 20, 2004
Further reading[edit]
External links[edit]
- Official website
- The Ornithopter Zone
- Ornithopter Technologies – Sean Frawley's original company
- FlyTech Dragonfly Home on RoboCommunity – The official WowWee Robotics user community
- UK info site about the Flytech Remote Control Dragonfly
- Video of Dragonfly flying filmed at half-speed
- Fan-site, photo gallery, forums and review with pictures of Dragonfly
- Flytech Dragonfly Information page (plus YouTube video) it is a big fly
- Flytech Dragonfly Inventor Sean Frawley – a discussion of remarkable materials, painstaking development and that spark of inspiration.
- Review of the FlyTech Dragonfly by Craig Johnson of The LED Museum