Posts by: Maria Fernanda Torres

The terror of prehistoric skies may have not been able to fly?

October 8, 2012 at 9:49 pm

The Quetzalcoatlus, named after the frightening Aztec God, was a ptrodactyloid dinosaur known for being the largest creature to ever take flight. With an astonishing wingspan of 40 feet and a weight of 400 pounds, these species must have been incredibly feared as they soared through the skies in search of food. Right? Well, maybe […]

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Human powered ornithopters- Biomechanics at its best!

September 27, 2012 at 7:01 pm

It is no surprise that humanity’s first attempts at human powered flight were based on birdlike structures. The first proposed reasonable flying device was proposed by the prodigious artist and engineer Leonardo Da Vinci in 1490 and consisted of a giant bat-looking aircraft that used the pilot’s arms and legs to power the wings. However, […]

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