This project is aimed on design of mechanically efficient wing drive train, which allows power extraction from air flows around an apparatus.

The design of practical flapping wing apparatuses is a long time human dream.

Attempted designs, so far, are aimed mostly on improving the aerodynamics of ornithopters and entomopters. That is important but insufficient.

The main unsolved problem with those types of flying apparatuses is in energy deficient suitable power sources.

Another unsolved problem is the stability of the flying apparatuses in ascending or descending air currents.

The apparatus shown on illustration is designed as the manpower flying apparatus with pneumatic train designed for improved efficiency in all modes.

The vertical stability is improved by adding automatically adjusted feathers.

The feathers are passively controlled by air pressure applied on them.

Feathers will turn against the wing where they are sitting if air pressure is exceeding a preset level.

That will automatically adjust effective area of wings to existing conditions.

The feathers on the tips of the wings are substituting slatted wing for additional aerodynamic quality gain.

The tail could move in vertical and horizontal plains. That allows the use of it for changing the direction of flight and tangage (pith) of the apparatus for changing aerodynamic lift.

An operator is lying down on a platform and pumping air in a receiver. The compressed air is used for mowing the flapping wings during a flight and adjusting the position of the wings, and the tail.

Mechanical efficiency of designed apparatus is improved by recuperation of energy used for flapping and compensation of gravitational effects during start from a surface and a flight.

Energy is stored during deceleration of wings and used for acceleration of them in opposite directions.

It was shown, in a bench experiment, that efficiency could be improved by 75% or more.

Additionally, it could be suggested that during a real fly that apparatus will be able to extract energy from air flows around it.

The same approach could be used for improving the efficiency of a power train in apparatuses of different sizes, from ornithopters to entomopters.

The powertrain in apparatuses operating on a manpower could be controlled by the operator, or automatically. Apparatuses of smaller sizes could have an automatic control system.

The apparatuses could be used for recreation, sport, surveillance, transportation, reconnaissance and so on.

Those kinds of apparatuses are very promising because the absence of noise during the flight of them, improved safety and comparable simplicity.

Safety is improved because that kind of apparatuses could descend even if failures of powertrain will happen.

The wingspan for the stable flight of an apparatus operating by manpower should be not less than 25 ft.