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."

Comments

laden or unladen?

[ruggerboy]

a barn swallow, yes, but an African swallow...

Re:laden or unladen?

[palegray.net]

For those in need, here's the official reference on "Estimating the Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow". Enjoy.

Re:laden or unladen?

[palegray.net]

The little search engine that could told me. That and a few ex-girlfriends who had some experience with swallows, but that's all over now that I'm married.

Re:It's the people, not the planes.

[palegray.net]

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.

Re:Missing tag.

[Scumbumbo]

It's not so much impractical as pointless. Plus the swallow would not enjoy the experience.

Re:Missing tag.

[MadKeithV]

An African or a European swallow?

Re:It's the people, not the planes.

[fastest fascist]

More like 6000, you insensitive clod.