GIBSON ornithopter (William Gibson, Outram St., West Hartlepool)

   This machine was shown at the exhibition at Crystal Palace, organized by the Aeronautical Society in 1868. It consisted of a framework, to which four wings were attached that could be operated by a treadle, so that when two were up, the other pair were down. The machine did not lift off, and Gibson proposed to build a larger one with more area, of which there is no information.

   Data
   Length of wing 12ft
   Chord 1ft 6in tapering to 1ft
   Area of two wings 37 sq ft
   Weight 41 lb
   Weight allup 188 lb (5 lb per sq ft approx.)