The flying
pigeon of Archytas
It was the
first autonomous volatile machine of antiquity. It consisted of a light but
powerful shell that had the form of a pigeon and had internally the bladder of
a big animal. The aerodynamic pigeon was placed with the opening of the bladder
adapted to the utmost opening of a heated airtight boiler (or a powerful piston
air-pump). When the pressure of the steam or air exceeded the mechanical
resistance of the connection, the pigeon was launched and continued its flight
for some hundreds of metres with the help of the compressed air force coming
out of the bladder according to the principles of aerodynamics.
SOURCES:
"Aulus Gellius, Attic Nights"
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