Posts by: Kevin Ma

Morphing Wings

October 14, 2011 at 4:28 pm

One of the differences between man-made aircrafts and birds is the morphology of their respective wings. A Boeing-747 has stiff metal wings that barely change shape. Using the knowledge of wing surface area, other aircrafts were built with varying wing spans to accommodate ideal flying speeds and weights. However, birds can create their own ideal […]

Posted in student post | Tagged | Comments (2)

AeroVironment, Inc.’s Nano Hummingbird

October 11, 2011 at 4:05 pm

The flight of a hummingbird has been fascinating to study since it is able to fly backwards and hover. The amount of energy it must use to flap its wings 12-90 times per second seems impossible for a creature its size. It  also manages to control its flight so precisely that it can  point its […]

Posted in student post | Tagged , , , | Comments (3)

Chrysopelea- The “Flying” Snake

September 22, 2011 at 4:10 pm

Certain species of the “flying” snake are able to glide as far as 330 feet in the air. What makes them so aerodynamic and gives them such controlled flight has been interesting to watch and inspiring to the area of biomimetics. One of the most important factors of  the snake’s ability to glide is its […]

Posted in student post | Tagged , | Comments (4)