Posts by: David Villari

The Elegant Swan’s Adaptations

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 […]

The Walkalong Glider

In 1971 Paul MacCready founded AeroVironment, Inc.. Considered the father of human powered flight, MacCready went on to invent flying devices with his company ranging in everything from solar powered flight to the Gossamer Condor, which flew over the 23-mile long English Channel off of only the power of an onboard cyclist. And as the […]

The Physics of Wingsuits

The amazing thing about the flight of animals is the seemingly simple nature yet unbelievable complexity of their evolved structures.  You would think that to mimic a flying squirrel would be easy, right? You know, just slap on a pair of wings and jump off of something. It couldn’t be that difficult. Wrong. It has […]