Posts by: Ryan Erf

Vortices and the Amazing Flying V

October 18, 2011 at 4:46 pm

We have learned that vortices can have devastating effects when an airplane flies through the wash of another airplane. The wings cause powerful spirals of air moving clockwise off the left wing and counterclockwise coming off the right wing. This holds for birds flying as well. The same vortex patterns emerge, albeit slightly different since […]

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The Astonishing Agility of the Dragonfly

October 17, 2011 at 12:21 am

The dragonfly is an extremely unique insect, both in the shape of its body, and its 4 independent wings. Lets start with its eyes. The dragonfly, like many insects, has nearly 30,000 eyes, called compound eyes(1). This doesn’t work well for traditional sight it gives the dragonfly a 360 degree motion detector of sorts. This […]

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Bernoulli’s Principle Explained:

September 25, 2011 at 2:51 pm

Before we begin here’s a few definitions to make following this post easier. 1. Kinetic energy – noun. the energy of a body or a system with respect to the motion of the body or of theparticles in the system. 2. Potential Energy – noun. the energy of a body or a system with respect […]

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