Birds, bats and insects fly in a chaotic environment full of gusts traveling at speeds similar to their own. Yet they can react almost immediately and adjust with their flexible wings. Roland Piquepaille points out a news release from the University of Michigan where researchers are looking to birds and bats for insights into aerospace engineering. Wei Shyy and his colleagues are learning from solutions developed by nature and applying them to the technology of flight.

The roll rate of the aerobatic A-4 Skyhawk plane is about 720 degrees per second. The roll rate of a barn swallow exceeds 5,000 degrees per second. Select military aircraft can resist gravitational forces of 8-10 G. Many birds regularly experience positive G-forces greater than 10 G and up to 14 G. Flapping flight is inherently uneven, but that’s why it works so well.

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