Nature’s Mysterious Flyer

October 11, 2011 at 1:41 pm

One of the most mysterious gliding animals that can be found in nature is the flying squid. Flying squid are cephalopod mulluscs and of the Ommatostrephidae family. Several species include the Humboldt squid, the Neon Flying squid, and the Japanese flying squid. They can range in size from 10 cm long to 100 cm long.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1338220/Graham-Ekins-Japanese-squid-photos-leap-air-dodge-predators.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1338220/Graham-Ekins-Japanese-squid-photos-leap-air-dodge-predators.html

The behavior of flying squid had not been documented until 2001 when biologists Macia and Michael Robinson observed a squid leap out of the water and travel about 10 meters in the air at a height of about 2 meters. This immediately sparked their interest, and by 2004, along with several other biologists, they came out with a study on the flight of the flying squid. Although the study did not conclude anything about the mechanics of the flying squid, it did point out the squids’ ability to move through the air is much more than just the fish launching themselves out of the water.

Despite no definite conclusion on nature of their flight, scientists have gained somewhat of and understanding as to how it works. The squids propel themselves out of the water by shooting water from their siphon. They are the only animals known to use jet propulsion as a means of flight. Once airborne, they curl their arms up and spread their fins. Scientists believe these manipulations create lift and stability for the animal. It has been observed that they even flap their fins. This led Macia to suggest that they fly rather than glide because of their fins are active.

Another question remains unanswered about the flying squid, why do they fly? In many cases they have been observed in flight while being chased, so it would stand to reason that they use it to effectively escape predators.

Up to this point not much more is known about the flying squid. Their flight is extremely rare to see in nature. Very few pictures and no videos have been taken of them. Despite this, scientists will certainly be seeking more definite explanations as to how flying squid are able to achieve their prolonged flight.

References:

By Sam Nichols | Posted in student post | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

Penguins Can’t Fly?

October 11, 2011 at 12:15 am

It is well known that the penguin is a very unique type of bird that lacks the ability to fly.  Many scientists believe that they are descendents of very early types of birds, and that they were forced to adapt to living in the water in order to survive.  Thus, their “wings” that were once feathered for them to fly are now flippers that allow them to swim and glide underwater.

Antarctica_chinstrap_penguin_swimming

Many times penguins are photographed on shore in their colonies.  However, they actually spend about ¾ of their time in the water.  In fact, depending on where they live, they may spend weeks or even months at a time in the water before returning to land.  This is true especially in Polar Regions in which the penguins are surrounded by ice.

So how are these creatures able to spend so much time in the water?

They do so by using their penguin wings, which are called flippers.  These are hard, rigid paddles that are covered with tiny stiff feathers.  The penguin’s flippers are shaped much like the wing of an airplane.  This is very interesting considering the fact that the flippers are not used for flight, but for simply guiding and maneuvering in the water.  Since penguins have solid, heavy bones, they are less buoyant and can gain speed underwater on the up and down strokes of their flippers.  This is different from normal birds whose hollow bones and wing shapes only allow increased speed on the down strokes.

swimming_penguins-12131

Penguins use their flippers to dive a great distance into the water to obtain their food. Depending on the species, it may be up to 1,700 feet! However, it is necessary that they surface for air on a regular basis. The period of time that they can remain under the water without doing so is from two minutes to twenty minutes depending on the species.  Thus, they must use their flippers to quickly navigate the waters at amazing speeds.

Sources:

http://www.patrickdepinguin.com/penguins/flippers/

By Nathan Provencher | Posted in student post | Tagged , | Comments (2)

The Seabreacher

October 11, 2011 at 12:13 am

So far in the course, we have primarily focused on scientists and engineers drawing inspiration from nature to better understand the concept of lift and hopefully master the skill of flight. We have operated under the assumption that the principles from most of the studies we have seen thus far can only be applied to aerial flight. However, it is important to step back once in a while, allow our imaginations to flourish, and see if we cannot find some other application for what we learn by studying movement, propulsion, flight, etc. in nature.

The designers and engineers at Innespace Productions have undergone that exact process, and in recent years, built one of the more entertaining and interesting vehicles modeled after several of natures creatures: the Seabreacher. The Seabreacher is a hybrid between a boat and a submarine and even incorporates certain aspects of an airplane. It quintessentializes harmonizing modern technology and nature's principles to create the most efficient and effective vehicles possible.

Upon first glance, it is apparent that the initial Seabreacher was modeled after a dolphin. The resemblance between its shape and that of the aquatic animal which inspired its creation is uncanny. But, the goal was not merely to construct a boat that looked natural to its environment. The goal was to build a vehicle that could replicate a dolphin's movement in the water. After years of work, the engineers at Innespace Productions achieved their dream. The newest versions of the boat can travel upwards of 50 mph above water and 25 mph below the surface. It can maneuver through the water with incredible agility, dive beneath it, and even launch itself completely above the surface.

While the whole design is fascinating, perhaps the most relevant aspect of the Seabreacher to our course is how it dives. It dips below the water in the same way that an airplane takes off, with one major difference. Rather than generating positive lift and leaving the ground, the wings (which look more like flippers) actually generate negative lift. The same principles apply. However, instead of speeding through the air and being lifted upwards, the vehicle travels through the water, and, at the pilot's discretion, dives below the surface. Essentially, the process is reversed and performed in a different medium (water rather than air.)

Breaching the water is not all that different from diving below it. In this case, it merely requires positive lift and greater thrust and momentum. Therefore, when the pilot wishes to breach the water, he dives below the water then heads for the surface at full throttle. He changes the position of the wings so that he can generate positive lift as opposed to negative lift, and the Seabreacher is propelled into the air.

Unfortunately, while Seabreacher does employ some of the same principles used in flight, it is incapable of actually flying. However, we know from our studies that making the transition from breaching to flying is completely possible. While doing so is possible, it is also extremely complex. It would require a restructure in the design of the vehicle: specifically the size of the wings to alter the wing loading, the shape of the wings, and also more thrust to help generate greater lift. While possible, the chances of the company actually making these adjustments is unlikely as they would decrease maneuverability and agility. Regardless, the Seabreacher remains a fascinating invention and a perfect example of using nature as inspiration and a model for practical applications.

Sources:

http://www.seabreacher.com/seabreacher-x

http://machinedesign.com/article/recreational-water-vehicle-the-seabreacher-x-from-innespace-productions-resembles-a-shark-an?page=0%2C1

By Charlie Schumacher | Posted in student post | Comments (1)

That Thing Can Really Fly?

October 10, 2011 at 9:53 pm

Weighing in at an average of 14 kilograms (about 30 pounds), the Andean Condor is the largest known bird with the capability of taking flight. If you are ever in the Andes Mountains, or the neighboring Pacific coasts that border South America, look for the bird's dark black coloring coupled with white feathers surrounding its neck. And if your color blind, don't worry about it, because this bird is HUGE. These omnivorous creatures weigh as much as five gallons of water. Their four foot height along with a ten foot wing span threatens many other species located near them. If you ever do come across this species, and think to yourself, "It looks like a condor, but its smaller than the average one", then you have just come across the female Andean condor. Unlike many other birds, the size of the male condor is much greater than that of the female.

They maintain a carrion diet, meaning they feast on large and medium size animals who are usually already dead. They have a vast option of food because of the distance they cover when they fly.

Andean Condor

Curiosity led me to research really how this heavy-set bird took flight. In order to take off from the ground, the condor flaps its wings numerous times. However when it has attained a respectable velocity and elevation, it rarely flaps its wings; it maintains a very smooth flight. When soaring mid-air, the condor lays out its wings horizontally while also pointing its primary feathers upward at the tip (shown in the picture above). To further understand how smooth this bird really flies, watch this video: The Andean Condor Mid-Flight

These birds have been known to fly 7000 meters above sea level, and when doing so, they are constantly looking for prey. When its sees potential food, the condor nosedives at a high velocity towards its target. It makes its first contact with the beak, stabbing the dead prey until it rips off a good enough bite.

The average life span of the Andean Condor is about 50 years. They only mate once a year, and because of these limited reproduction abilities, coupled with less and less food being available to them, the population of this species is on the decline.

References:

http://www.peregrinefund.org/subsites/explore-raptors-2001/vultures/andcondr.html

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/andean-condor/

http://www.clemetzoo.com/rttw/condor/allabt.htm

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/birds/facts/factsheets/fact-andeancondor.cfm

By Gabriel Beru | Posted in student post | Tagged , | Comments (2)

Are hummingbirds just insects with feathers?

October 10, 2011 at 6:53 pm

While hummingbirds are, of course, birds, which make up the Trochilidae family, their aerodynamic characteristics have been more closely attributed to insects.  Not only can the hummingbird hover indefinitely, in midair, it also makes up the only group of birds that possess the ability to fly backwards.  The humming bird, therefore, takes flapping flight to a whole new level.

Depending on the species, the hummingbird can flap its wings anywhere from 8 to 100 times per second.  That's up to 6,000 times per minute.  However, the hummingbird's ability to hover is not solely based on how fast it flaps its wings, it also depends on the unique way that the hummingbird flaps its wings.

In most species of birds, the bird depends 100% on the down stroke to generate lift during flapping flight.  These birds, however, do not hover.  Insects, on the other hand, who have mastered the ability to hover, gain 50% of their required lift in the down stroke and 50% in the up stroke of their wing movement.  A study was done by biomechanist, Douglas Warrick of Oregon State University at Corvallis, to determine whether this was in fact the case with hummingbirds.

The main thing that Douglas Warrick and his team set out to do was see what the air looked like in the wake of a hummingbird's flapping wings.  To achieve this goal, they had rufous hummingbirds hover in place while the "filled the air with a mist of microscopic olive-oil droplets, and shone a sheet of laser light in various orientations through the air around the birds to catch two-dimensional images of air currents."

This test garnered a number of different discoveries in the way a hummingbird hovers.  Douglas Warrick and his team determined that the hummingbird gets about 75% of its lift from the down stroke and about 25% from the up stroke.  This puts it's flapping characteristics somewhere in between that of an insect and that of other birds.

They also discovered that while the hummingbird does flap its wings up and down in relation to its body, like most birds, it also holds its body at a much more vertical angle in the air, thus flapping it's wings from side to side.  The team also noticed that in order for hummingbirds to do this they must, "with each stroke...partially invert their wings, so that the aerofoil points in the right direction."  This is different from insects who completely turn their wings inside out, the birds' wings, however, are not this flexible.

So, although the hummingbird does share some aerodynamic characteristics with insects, and with birds, it must remain distinct when it comes to flapping flight.

Sources:

"Hummingbird." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 10 Oct. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummingbird.

"Hummingbirds’ Aerodynamics Are Midway between Insects and Other Birds." Veterinary Sciences Tomorrow. 10 Oct. 2011. http://www.vetscite.org/publish/items/002289/index.html.

By Colby Mann | Posted in student post | Tagged , , | Comments (1)