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Dynamic soaring is a flying technique used to gain energy by repeatedly crossing the boundary between air masses of different velocity.Such zones of wind gradient are generally found close to obstacles and close to the surface, so the technique is mainly of use to birds and operators of radio-controlled gliders, but glider pilots are sometimes able to soar dynamically in meteorological wind ...
The smallest flying vertebrates are the bee hummingbird and the bumblebee bat, both of which may weigh less than 2 grams (0.071 oz). They are thought to represent the lower size limit for endotherm flight. [citation needed] The smallest flying invertebrate is a fairyfly wasp species, Kikiki huna, at 0.15 mm (0.0059 in) (150 μm). [23] Fastest.
This is a list of soaring birds, which are birds that can maintain flight without wing flapping, using rising air currents. Many gliding birds are able to "lock" their extended wings by means of a specialized tendon. [1] Bird of prey. Buzzards; Condors; Eagles; Falcons; Harriers; Hawks; Kites; Osprey; Secretary bird; Vultures; Passerine ...
An ornithopter (from Greek ornis, ornith-'bird' and pteron 'wing') is an aircraft that flies by flapping its wings. Designers sought to imitate the flapping-wing flight of birds, bats, and insects. Though machines may differ in form, they are usually built on the same scale as flying animals.
BBC News: Ancient American bird was glider – BBC News article; How the dinosaur bird took to the skies – Daily Telegraph article; Secret of flight for world's largest bird revealed – COSMOS magazine article; Argentavis, the largest flying bird, was a master glider – Article from the blog Not Exactly Rocket Science
Lesser flamingos flying in formation. When in gliding flight, the upward aerodynamic force is equal to the weight.In gliding flight, no propulsion is used; the energy to counteract the energy loss due to aerodynamic drag is either taken from the potential energy of the bird, resulting in a descending flight, or is replaced by rising air currents ("thermals"), referred to as soaring flight.
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The flows around birds and insects can be considered incompressible: The Mach number, or velocity relative to the speed of sound in air, is typically 1/300 and the wing frequency is about 10–103 Hz.