Of all the bird species of the world, the hummingbird has some of the most unique and impressive abilities. It has the highest metabolism of any warm blooded mammal on the planet, it is extremely light, and it flaps its wings so fast that the frequency can even be picked up by the human ear. Some of the fastest flapping hummingbirds can generate up to 200 flaps per second! And not only this but they are able to hover in place, fly backwards, and even shake off water from their bodies all in midflight! Many scientists have researched the hummingbird and have learned that it does not flap its wings in the traditional up and down movement but instead in a back and forth movement creating lift in both the up and down stroke. About 70% of the total lift is created in the down stroke and 30% in the up stroke in one cycle of flapping. Even in wind tunnels these feathered fiends are able to withstand winds of 20 mph by using their natural aerodynamic, streamlined body and tail as a rudder to maneuver through the passing air. Obviously here at Team UV we are interested in harnessing the power of nature through biomimicry and scientist and engineers are doing the same with the hummingbird. Tiny helicopters attempt to recreate the hummingbird hover but currently are not as good as the real deal. More on the mini-helicopter-drones http://www.futurity.org/hummingbirds-micro-helicopters-740052/.
Leading Edge Vortex (LEV) and Trailing Edge Vortex (TEV) shedding in hummingbird flight. Photo Credit:Nick Stockton (Wired.com)
