Tagged: flight

The Elegant Swan’s Adaptations

October 19, 2011 at 1:38 am

Elegant yet notoriously aggressive, a swan is not only one of the largest birds to fly, but it is also very unique. Being mostly aquatic, it makes sense that this bird would have webbed feet. However, this has been shown to not only be for better control and movement in the water, but also an […]

By David Villari | Posted in student post | Also tagged , | Comments (4)

The Wright Flyer’s warping wings

October 18, 2011 at 12:49 pm

It is well known that the first powered and piloted flight of an aircraft was performed by two brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright. These two brothers designed a glider-based aircraft that was powered by a 4-stroke engine. The design also had a 32-foot wingspan and weighed about 700 pounds. This aircraft came to be known […]

By Will Livingston | Posted in student post | Also tagged , , | Comments (2)

A Bird’s Breath

October 17, 2011 at 10:04 pm

To humans, Avian flight can seem to be a simple, effortless, freeing experience. Birds seem to flap effortlessly to great heights before they coast and find a thermal, staying aloft for hours at a time. As we know, this is far from the case. The flight of a bird is extremely complex in many respects, […]

By Alex Fredman | Posted in student post | Also tagged , | Comments (2)

Bees Can Fly?

October 5, 2011 at 7:52 pm

This question might seem one of the most absurd, but it is one that has baffled scientists for over 70 years. In 1934, a French entomologist, one who studies insects, August Magnan and his assistant calculated that a bee was physically incapable of flying. Aerodynamically that is. But bees fly everyday! So, this question has […]

By Chris Hui | Posted in student post | Also tagged | Comments (1)