Turbulence Boosts Bird Tail Aerodynamics
Analysis
Key Takeaways
- •Turbulence significantly enhances the aerodynamic performance of bird tails.
- •Tail spread primarily modulates force via area, simplifying flight control.
- •The study uses a bio-hybrid robot model to simulate bird tail behavior.
- •Findings suggest a wake instability is suppressed in turbulent flow, improving efficiency.
- •Results could inspire better aircraft tail designs for turbulent conditions.
“Turbulence increases lift and drag by approximately a factor two.”