Posts by: Alex Fredman

Winglets: The anti-vortex device

In class we covered how vortices are generated at the tips of wings. We learned that this is due to high pressure air from under the wing spilling over the wing tip and moving into the area of low pressure above the wing. This causes a large “tornado” of air to form off of the […]

A Bird’s Breath

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, […]

Flight of the Malayan Colugo

The Mayan Colugo (Galeopterus variegatus) is a small mammal, about 34-40 cm in length and 1-2kg, which inhabits the dense forests of Southeast Asia. Recently, it has been discovered that the Colugo is actually the closest living relative of primates, making it a hot topic in evolutionary biology. It is nocturnal and feeds on young […]