Ornadyne Demonstrates O1 Flapping-Wing Drone at Game of Drones

Ornadyne demonstrated the O1, an unmanned aircraft that uses semi-rigid flapping wings rather than propellers, at the Game of Drones event held September 14–18. CEO and co-founder Geourg Kivijian said sensors operated by other participating companies classified the aircraft as a bird.

Key details

• Ornadyne CTO and co-founder Armen Arakelyan described the event as the company’s first opportunity to test the O1 against detection systems operated by other companies.
• Arakelyan said the flapping-wing design is quieter than a propeller-driven aircraft; the company provided no measurements.
• The event was developed and sponsored by the DCMA Blue List team, the Air Force 412th Test Wing’s Experimental Test Force, and the Griffiss Institute.

Ornadyne CEO and co-founder Geourg Kivijian said participating companies’ sensors classified the O1 as a bird.

Why it matters

The O1 uses a flight mechanism that differs from the propellers found on many unmanned aircraft. Ornadyne’s demonstration put that design in front of detection systems operated by other participating companies.