This multi-colored jumble of 'helium' balloons looked to both Janet and me as something that should be in a circus, hence the name Calliope. Left-over styrofoam balls from other projects, burned-out blow-dryer motors, a toilet tank float, two turkey breastbones, zipties, string, friendly pilot.
This little flyer was dubbed Scapular Ornithopter by a commenter on social media. "Scapular" because the assorted winglets look like shoulder blades; and "ornithopter" because the wings look like they might flap like a bird's. BTW, 'ornithopter' comes from the Greek words for 'bird' and 'wing.'
The hemispherical main body comes from a broken blow dryer. The rest is made from typical materials: turkey bones, bamboo skewers, mylar sheets. The motor is from an old 1/35 scale tank model, with some additions. Some curvy wooden bits are leftovers from an old wooden ship kit, The shape of the control surfaces is taken from the wing of a Spitfire, with the wing-root rounded off.
