Fixed-wing flight typically favors the efficiency of long skinny wings, which is why so many aircraft have them. But for smaller flyers, like micro air vehicles (MAVs), short and stubby Keep reading
Tag: flight
Why Do Backwards Wings Exist?
Over the years, there have been many odd airplane designs, but one you probably haven’t seen much is the forward-swept wing. While most early aircraft featured straight wings, rear-swept wings are Keep reading
Martian Bees, Canopies, and Dandelion Seeds
The latest FYFD/JFM video is out! May brings us a look at the incredible flight of dandelion seeds, numerical simulations that reveal the flow above forest canopies, and a look Keep reading
Gliding Lizards
Flying lizards are truly gliders, but that doesn’t mean they’re unsophisticated. Newly reported observations of the species in the wild show that flying lizards don’t simply hold their forelimbs out a Keep reading
Soaring Pelicans
Earlier this summer, I looked up on a bright, sunny day and saw a quartet of black and white figures soaring overhead. Initially, I thought it might be a formation Keep reading
Visualizing F-18 Flow
Flow visualization techniques are helpful outside of wind and water tunnels, too. The photo above comes from the F-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV) program in which techniques like smoke and dye Keep reading
The Silence of Owls
Owls are nearly silent hunters, able to swoop down on their prey without the rush of air over their wings giving away their approach, thanks to several key features of Keep reading
Wind Tunneling Testing for BASE Jumpers
While we usually think of wind tunnel testing airplane models, the truth is that wind tunnels today test a much wider array of subjects. From oil rigs and skyscrapers to Keep reading
Dove in Flight
This spectacular high-speed video shows a dove in flight. Note how its wings flex through its stroke and the way the wings rotate over the course of the downstroke and Keep reading
Pterosaur Aerodynamics
The pterosaur was an enormous prehistoric reptile that flew with wings of living membrane stretched over a single long bone, unlike any of today’s flying creatures. New research using carbon Keep reading