Scientists have long suspected that birds save energy by following a leader — think of the V-shaped flight formation used by geese — but a new study captures that savings Keep reading
Tag: flapping flight
Wasps in Flight
Personally, I’ve had some bad encounters with wasps, but Dr. Adrian Smith of Ant Lab feels the insects receive short shrift. In this video, he shows many species in the Keep reading
“Mason Bee at Work”
Mason bees like this one build landmarks to help them navigate as they construct a shelter for their eggs. Even hauling materials, these bees can easily stay aloft. This is Keep reading
Moths in Flight
Moths and butterflies are such unique fliers among insects. Compared to their bodies, their wings are often enormous. High-speed video reveals the complex motions of their wing strokes. Some species Keep reading
Why Moths Are Slow Fliers
Hawkmoths and other insects are slow fliers compared to birds, even ones that can hover. To understand why these insects top out at 5 m/s, researchers simulated their flight from Keep reading
Moths and Beetles in Flight
Watching insects take flight in high-speed video is always mesmerizing. So often their wings look too small and fragile to lift their bulbous bodies, but they manage the feat easily. Keep reading
Swimming Together
Scientists have long pondered the possibilities of hydrodynamic benefits to the ways fish school. But most analyses of schooling have assumed a fixed spacing that’s far more orderly than what Keep reading
Meet BILLY
Many wings in nature are not rigid. Instead they flex and curve with the flow. Here researchers imitate that phenomenon with BILLY (Bio-Inspired Lightweight and Limber wing prototYpe). Using an evolutionary-style algorithm, Keep reading
Flying With Geese
Some people fly with geese to train them for wind tunnel tests, and some people fly with them to teach them safer migratory paths. Today’s video focuses on the latter, Keep reading
Perching Aerodynamics
When birds come in for a landing, they pitch back and heave their wings as they come to a stop in a perching maneuver. Some birds, researchers noticed, partially fold Keep reading