I met a scads of great folks at Maker Faire Detroit this year, including William Wardrop, who crafts *fantastically* rad cardboard model steampunk vehicles from legal-pad backing boards (!!!)
Aircraft – Steam Noir
The steam ornithopter has been re-invented throughout history. Its origins predate the Atlantean culture which used it quite extensively in their world travels. When Leonardo Da Vinci later discovered the blueprints for one in the vaults of the Vatican he tried to create his own version; at which point the Atlanteans stepped in, kidnapped Da Vinci and replaced him with a less intelligent clone. Da Vinci in turn handed his plans for the ornithopter to the Aztecs who dismissed them as useless since they could already fly through telekinesis. By the time Jules Vern discovered that he was actually one of Da Vinci’s less intelligent clones he had already created a fleet of ornithopters which he would fly to Mars on a regular basis. The Wright brothers had no connection to the ornithopter and probably didn’t know how to spell it either.
*Lots* of great models at his site; very worth poking around.