Tagged: peregrine falcon

An Acrobatic Speed Demon-The Peregrine Falcon

September 27, 2012 at 12:10 am

The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest bird known to man. At speeds approaching 200 miles per hour while diving, it surely deserves its title. This may seem surprising for a bird about the size of a simple crow, but the falcon accomplishes this feat by tucking its wings into its body,reducing its angle of attack–the […]

By Daniel Vasilyonok | Posted in Student post | Also tagged , , | Comments (1)

The Shape Factor

September 23, 2012 at 8:36 pm

Birds and flying insects in nature come in different sizes and shapes. We know that there exists minimum and maximum sizes for flight, but what makes a bird or an airplane an efficient flyer? Is there a wing that is perfect for all tasks? Can we borrow some ideas from nature to improve our aircraft?

By Mehmet Akbulut | Posted in Student post | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)