Thursday, September 24, 2020

Insect Takeoff & Flying at 3,200 FPS


Very informative video about insect flight. 

At 2:08, the wings touch each other at the top of the stroke, to increase lift and defeat the Wagner effect. More detail at http://blogs.bu.edu/bioaerial2012/2012/12/05/clap-flinging-to-a-faster-lift-off/


Also, some insects have hooks or "hamuli" that lock the forewing and hindwing together for more efficeint flight.

"Honey bees have a comparatively higher flying speed, thanks to a wing coupling mechanism along with angle changing mechanisms in wing flapping. These mechanisms serve to carry heavy loads of pollen...

Their wing coupling mechanism is commonly known as hamulate coupling. The upper margin of hindwing possesses a row of small hooks (hamuli) and folded lower margin in forewing. In flight the hamuli lock onto a fold at the lower margin of forewing so that both function as a single unit."

https://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/sciencecommunication/2014/08/19/wing-coupling-to-move-fast-2/

Here are a few more fascinating facts about insect wings, like how some fold to 1/18 of their area. 

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