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
Tag: leading edge vortex
Mimicking Insect Flight
There’s an oft-repeated tale that science cannot explain how a bumblebee flies. And while that may have been true 80 years ago, when engineers assumed they could apply their knowledge Keep reading
Stall with Pitching Foils
For a fixed-wing aircraft, stall – the point where airflow around the wing separates and lift is lost – is an enemy. It’s the precursor to a stomach-turning freefall for Keep reading
Flying Backwards
Spend a summer afternoon floating in a kayak and chances are you’ll see some impressive aerial acrobatics from dragonflies. One of the dragonfly’s superpowers is its ability to fly backwards, Keep reading
Mosquito Flight
Mosquitoes are unusual fliers. Their wings are long and skinny, and they beat at around 700 strokes a second – incredibly quickly for their size. Examining how they move has Keep reading
Bumblebees in Turbulence
Bumblebees are small all-weather foragers, capable of flying despite tough conditions. Given the trouble that micro air vehicles have when flying in gusty winds, bumblebees can help engineers to understand Keep reading
Hovering Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are incredible flyers, especially when it comes to hovering. To hover stationary and stable enough to feed, the hummingbird’s flapping pattern not only has to generate enough lift, or vertical Keep reading
Visualizing Vortices
Flow visualization can be a valuable tool for understanding fluid dynamics. In this video, we see how it can help elucidate the mechanisms of flapping flight. By dyeing vortices from Keep reading
Flow Around a Delta Wing
Colorful streaks of dye wrap like ribbons along the leading edge of a delta wing. At an angle of attack, this triangular wing forms a set of vortices that run Keep reading
Hummingbird Hovering
The hummingbird has long been admired for its ability to hover in flight. The key to this behavior is the bird’s capability to produce lift on both its downstroke and Keep reading