As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Thursday, 3 January 2019

Engineers, zoologists reveal how gulls 'wing morph' for stable soaring

Wind-tunnel testing of gull wings could be used to design more efficient flying vehicles

Date:January 2, 2019
Source:University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering


A unique collaboration between University of British Columbia (UBC) zoologists and U of T Engineering's aviation expert Professor Philippe Lavoie provides new insights into how gulls configure their wing shape -- known as wing morphing -- to stabilize their flight. The findings could be used to design more efficient flying vehicles, including soaring drones for farming or environmental monitoring.

Although a gliding bird's ability to stabilize its flight path is as critical as its ability to produce lift, relatively few quantitative studies on avian flight stability have been completed. This is what brought UBC researchers Christina Harvey, Vikram Baliga and Professor Doug Altshuler to Lavoie's wind tunnel lab at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS).
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