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Birds Give a Lesson to Plane Designers
Roland Piquepaille points out a news release from the University of Michigan where researchers are looking to birds and bats for insights into aerospace engineering. Wei Shyy and his colleagues are learning from solutions developed by nature and applying them to the technology of flight. A presentation on this topic was also given at the 2005 TED conference. From the news release:
"The roll rate of the aerobatic A-4 Skyhawk plane is about 720 degrees per second. The roll rate of a barn swallow exceeds 5,000 degrees per second. Select military aircraft can withstand gravitational forces of 8-10 G. Many birds routinely experience positive G-forces greater than 10 G and up to 14 G. Flapping flight is inherently unsteady, but that's why it works so well. Birds, bats and insects fly in a messy environment full of gusts traveling at speeds similar to their own. Yet they can react almost instantaneously and adapt with their flexible wings."
a barn swallow, yes, but an African swallow...
Submarine designers look to fish for ideas on how to move in water.
So does this mean we will soon of ornithopters to defend our spice from the evil Harkonnen?
I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask where they're goin' and hook up with 'em later.
Tell me about it. My brother suffered an awful tilt-a-whirl experience at an amusement park, and they had to clean him up what was left with tortilla chips. Not a pretty sight.
512 MB RAM, 20 GB disk, 200 GB transfer, five datacenters. $19.95/month.
(...and what if you're allergic to feathers? )
Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
It's not so much impractical as pointless. Plus the swallow would not enjoy the experience.
African or European A4 Skyhawk?
An African or a European swallow?
More like 6000, you insensitive clod.
Birds Give a Lesson to Plane Designers
By crapping on their freshly washed cars?
Shop as usual. And avoid panic buying.