Solving A Dragonfly Flight Mystery
Posted on September 27th, 2007 by ScienceDaily: Aviation News
Dragonflies adjust their wing motion while hovering to conserve energy, according to a new study of the insect's flight mechanics. The revelation contradicts previous speculation that the change in wing motion served to enhance vertical lift. Physicists came to their conclusions after analyzing high speed images of dragonflies in action. The insects have two pairs of wings, which sometimes move up and down in harmony. At other times the front set of wings flap out of sync with the back set.