Flying free as a bird… a human dream that was first realized some hundred years ago or more.
But compare the elegance of birds with that of their machine-based cousins, and it’s clear the aviation industry still has a long way to go.
Using high-speed cameras and a gust generator, a team of researchers from the UK has conducted a series of experiments focused on the flight of owls.
Their research suggests that a more flexible wing, which is no longer so rigidly attached to the plane’s body, could be the future of aircraft design.
In stormy conditions the new wings act like a suspension system, stabilizing the plane’s path through the skies, and making turbulence a thing of the past.
Sometimes owl we need is to look at nature for inspiration.
