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Whale Flippers Make Better Airplane Wings
phreakmonkey writes "The bumpy, ridged surface on humpback whale flippers provide more lift, less drag, and exhibit better stall characteristics than traditional aircraft wing designs, according to Duke University, West Chester University, and the U.S. Naval Academy. This could help improve the design of airfoils used on everything from aircraft wings to underwater vehicles. The results were published in the May 2004 issue of Physics of Fluids and reported on Innovations Report."
I don't think whales fly all that well, at least not according to Douglas Adams.
:)
"I wonder if it will be my friend?" ***SPLAT***
-1, "1337" speak
I knew it all along. The skies used to be filled with whales before the whale hunters forced them to hide under the sea. Go get 'em, Greenpeace!
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
Here I thought it had something to do with reduced mass, but nope - its all aerodynamics!
How, exactly, do you test something like that? Cessna with flippers? Drop whales from heights? Whale in a wind tunnel?
Feel the fear and do it anyway.
I don't know about you but a study like this reported by a guy named Frank Fish sounds a little biased. I would even go as far as to say it sounds a little fishy...ok maybe that was a little too far.
That's what the whales thought too, but after a few hundred thousand years of experimenting they decided that it really does work.
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