I just watched the new movie today; it's good. The dragonfly-like wings were an interesting choice. It seems like they'd be less efficient at lift than a jointed wing, but then I thought, maybe an unusual wing surface material could be used?
The problem is that when the wings go up, they're pushing air in the wrong direction and propelling the ornithopter down. But suppose the wing was covered in tiny little hinged flaps that close on a downstroke, but open on an upstroke? That way the upstroke would push the aircraft down much less than the downstroke lifts.. (These wouldn't even need to be controlled in any way, they could just be passive flaps. Though being able to lock them closed might be useful for certain acrobatic maneuvers.)
The problem is that when the wings go up, they're pushing air in the wrong direction and propelling the ornithopter down. But suppose the wing was covered in tiny little hinged flaps that close on a downstroke, but open on an upstroke? That way the upstroke would push the aircraft down much less than the downstroke lifts.. (These wouldn't even need to be controlled in any way, they could just be passive flaps. Though being able to lock them closed might be useful for certain acrobatic maneuvers.)