(and locusts can be pretty clumsy)
—
Scientists studied the motion of a locust’s wings in a wind tunnel and found that efficiency was increased by the wings’ curvature and twisting motion. Compared with flat, stiff wings, they produce about 30 percent more lift for the same effort. The researchers suggest there is a lesson in this for engineers who are trying to develop tiny flying vehicles that mimic insects, but note that it may be difficult for engineers “even to approach the elegance of an insect.”
-NYTimes, Science in Pictures, 09/24/2009
