When people see a bird in flight, their minds were drifting and started looking for ways to be able to fly like that. This thought process may have begun thousands of years ago. But is it true those who live thousands of years ago has found a way to make a plane that can carry them fly?



This is another question from a reader about a "Ooparts" from Egypt.

Of course we need tools to be able to fly like a bird. According to history we know, in 1783 was the first year people can fly when two Frenchmen, de Rozier and d'Arlandes managed to fly with air balloon over the city of Paris.

Then, we experience a leap of technology when we can not only float, but actually fly with high speed driving. This occurs when the Wright brothers created the aircraft and managed to fly safely over the Kitty Hawk in 1903.

Human dream to fly like a bird could eventually become a reality.

However, perhaps our history not as we know so far. Some people have long been believed that the technology we have now is nothing more powerful than the technology of our ancestors, including in terms of Aerodynamics. The discovery of an artifact in Egypt is claimed as proof.

In 1898, an ancient artifact made of sycamore wood found in a tomb in Saqqara, Egypt. These artifacts are thought to originate from the year 200 BC. But, what is interesting about this object is the fact that he has a shape like an airplane or glider.

The length of this object about 15 cm by 18 cm wingspan. He even has a tail like a plane.


When found, these artifacts and then cataloged as a model of a bird and left to the dusty basement of the Cairo museum until 1969 when it was discovered by Dr. Khalil Messiha. Copy the artifact was then on display in the Cairo Museum and attracted the attention of researchers. Since then, several artifacts have been found again. This discovery is considered important by the Egyptian government that they create a committee to examine it further.

Because of its characteristics are shaped like that, these artifacts came to be called as a Bird or Saqqara Saqqara Glider.


In 1991, Dr.Messiha published a paper titled "African Experimental Aeronautic: A 2000 Years Old Model Glider" which contains his theory about the Saqqara Bird. He believes that this artifact is an indisputable proof that the Ancient Egyptians had aerodynamic technology.

Dr.Messiha theory quite interesting to note because this theory supports the supposition that in the past our ancestors had actually had a pretty high tech.

If so, could the Saqqara Bird indicates that the ancient Egyptians who lived thousands of years ago has had aerodynamic technology as we have in these modern times?

In my opinion no.

I'm not saying that the ancient Egyptians did not have high technology. What I want to say is basing this argument by using the Saqqara Bird is a pretty weak argument.

Let us look at these artifacts with a more critical view.

First, we need to know if what is on display in the Cairo Museum is a replica of the actual artifact. However, this replica is made with high accuracy so that arguably reflect the characteristics of the original artifacts.

If you look at the photo above, maybe you will believe that the artifact is a model airplane because of its resemblance is remarkable.

But wait a minute, I'll invite you to see the other side of this artifact.

If we only look at the photos of this artifact from one side, then we will be made to believe that this artifact is a model airplane.

Now look from the side.


Then from the front.


Is it still looks like a plane for you?

Unfortunately, some websites are only display photos of artifacts from the rear, giving rise to the impression that this artifact is a model airplane. However, when we see a pair of eyes in his head, we will soon be remembered with a bird, not a plane. In fact you could see its beak.

So, we can not blame the archaeologists when they called it a "bird Saqqara."

According to archaeologists, these artifacts is in fact a bird model Falcon. These birds are commonly used to represent some important deity in Egypt as Horus and Ra.

However, Dr.Messiha reject the supposition that the artefacts is a bird because he thought the artifact does not have a pair of vertical legs and a tail like that.

Dr.Messiha forget that even this artifact does not reflect a plane. To be able to fly, an airplane requires Tailplane (tail across the plane). At Saqqara Bird, Tailplane not found. Moreover, I also do not see any aircraft wheels on the artefacts.


                                                                     Tailplane

However, Dr.Messiha remain at its founding by assuming that the initial design, an artifact that has the tailplane which for some reason lost some where. So, he tried to prove it by creating a replica of the aircraft similar to the Saqqara Bird is the amount of 6 times the model to be flown. This time, he added tailplane to prove his theory.

"I've made a similar model of Balsa wood and add Tailplane (which I consider to have been lost) and I was not surprised to find replicas that can float in the air until a few yards when thrown by hand"

This experiment may confirm his theory, however, Dr.Messiha claim is disputed by a designer gliders (gliders) named Martin Gregorie that the same model, also from Balsa wood. According to Martin, Saqqara Bird obviously will not be stable without the Tailplane.

                                                          Replication Martin Gregorie

"Even after Tailplane added, Replication performance was very disappointing," said Martin.

Martin concluded that the Saqqara Bird may be just a children's toy or a wind indicator, which of course is not evidence of the greatness of ancient Egyptian technology.

In 2006, the History Channel has also been making a documentary about the Saqqara Bird in which they ask the opinion of an aerodynamics expert named Simon Sanderson who immediately made a replica of Saqqara Bird with size 5 times larger than its original size.

Sanderson then test it in a simulator and found that the Saqqara Bird was able to fly under certain conditions, but he needs a rudder to fly with the right side.

The experimental results confirm the opinion of Martin Sanderson enough Gregorie.

So, thus we can conclude that the Saqqara Bird likely is really the model of a bird.

Moreover, if really the ancient Egyptians had the technology of aviation, why it was not written in their ancient records or records of other ancient nations such as Greece?

Although replicas of birds that made Dr.Messiha (who happened to be made from Balsa wood - wood is the lightest in the world) can fly, does that prove that the ancient Egyptians had the technology to fly a plane? It could be that just proves that the Egyptians are a great toy maker.

If Dr.Messiha can believe that the artifact is a model of an aircraft that is not perfect, why he could not believe that the artifact is a model of a bird that is not perfect?





Source

Enigma