Flight Flashcards
Skeleton
Strong, lightweight, rigid
Enlarged keel, and sternum
Joints allow wings to fold and lock
___ and ____ prevent collapse of chest cavity
Coracoids and furcula
Key elements for flight
Skeleton
Large, powerful flight muscles
Reduced weight
Deliver oxygen and fuel to muscles
Bernoulli’s Principle
Within a fluid flowing horizontally, the highest speed occurs where the pressure is lowest, and the lowest speed occurs where the pressure is highest.
____ has greatest lift to drag ratio
Cambered shape
Airfoil
Flight feathers, some tail feathers
Stalling
Occurs at low speed
Turbulence
Alula/Bastard wing prevents turbulence
If angle of attack is greater than 15 degrees, increased turbulence
Drag
PO = DV
PO
Power required for flight
D
Drag
Induced + parasitic + profile drag
V
Velocity
Induced drag
Induced power overcomes induced drag
Increased speed = decreased induced drag
Parasitic Drag
Parasitic power overcomes parasitic drag
Increased speed = increased parasitic drag
Profile drag
Relatively small
Air friction
Red fiber muscles
sustained aerobic activity
Dark meat
White fiber muscles
short bursts of anaerobic activity
White meat
Tail feathers
Maintain stability
Balance, turns
Wing design
All wings are a compromise
Aspect ratio = length/width
____ wings are efficient and have little tip vortex
High aspect
____ wings are maneuverable and
good in dense vegetation
Low aspect
As wing area increases, lift
increases
Body size
Area increases as a square
Volume as a cube
High Aspect Wings
Long and narrow
Dynamic soaring
Difficult take off and landing
High Speed Wing
Pointed, no slots, flat
No soaring
High speed aerial captures
Elliptical wings
Short, low aspect, round
Rapid acceleration
No soaring
Maneuverable, not efficient
Spotted High Lift Wings
Broad wings, slots
Soar on thermals
Large birds benefit from soaring
