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- Title
How a Small Bird Executes a Sharp Turning Maneuver: A Mechanical Perspective.
- Authors
Su, J.-Y.; Ting, S.-C.; Yang, J.-T.
- Abstract
In this work, how a small bird (Japanese White-eye, Zosterops japonicus) executes a sharp turning maneuver is analyzed from a mechanical perspective. A specific type of turning maneuver, termed a 'hovering turn', was experimentally identified, which is evidently distinct from the yaw or bank turn that is well documented in the literature. The hovering turn is characterized by a turning radius only about ~1/10 of the wingspan, and requires less than 0.2 s. The reorientation of the bird's body is invariably preceded by a brief hovering stage during which the elevation angle of the bird increases from 40° to approximately 90°, leading beneficially to a considerable decrease (40% of its maximum) in the moment of inertia of the body against the axis of rotation. The brief hovering is deemed a strategic, preparatory and transitional stage in executing a roll-dominated turn that is efficient and particularly suitable for a small space. The mechanisms pertaining to the hovering turn might provide a useful, biomechanical inspiration to improve the maneuverability of artificial aerial vehicles.
- Subjects
BIRD flight; YAWING (Aerodynamics); INERTIA (Mechanics); ZOSTEROPS japonicus; BIOMECHANICS; WINGS (Anatomy); MICRO air vehicles
- Publication
Experimental Mechanics, 2012, Vol 52, Issue 7, p693
- ISSN
0014-4851
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s11340-011-9537-5