The Wing of Nature’s Fliers

Which would you think are more efficient in the air? Planes or such creatures as bats, insects, and birds? Believe it or not, the plane is no match for these small wonders of nature, who “have outstanding capabilities to remain airborne through wind gusts, rain, and snow.

While some birds and insects are in flight, their wings are constantly changing shape to adapt to the environment. This enables them to hover and to perform sharp maneuvers. When flying at slow speeds, about 1.5 meters per second, the bats turned their wingtips upside down and quickly flicked them backward during an upstroke. Scientists have surmised that this trick . . . provides lift and thrust.”

To be sure, there is still much to learn about natural fliers. “Physically, what are they doing to the air to produce such efficient lift? Believe me there is still more to learn about the nature fliers. There are all kinds of flow physics we just don’t understand. We can see what birds and insects are doing, but we don’t understand how that interacts with the air.

Note: Many winged creatures can fly in the rain, most seek a place of safety.