"Natural flyers obviously have some highly varied mechanical properties that we really have not incorporated in engineering," said Wei Shyy, chair of the Aerospace Engineering department and an author of the new book "The Aerodynamics of Low Reynolds Number Flyers."

"Theyare not only lighter, but also have much more adaptive structures as well as capabilities of integrating aerodynamics with wing and body shapes, which change all the time," Shyy said. "Natural flyers have outstanding capabilities to remain airborne through wind gusts, rain, and snow." Shyy photographs birds to help him understand their aerodynamics.

Pressure generated during flight cause the flapping wings to deform, he explained. In turn, the deformed wing tells the air that the wing shape is different than it appears in still air. If appropriately handled, this phenomenon can delay stall, enhance stability and increase thrust.

Flapping flight is inherently unsteady, but thatis why it works so well. Birds, bats and insects fly in a messy environment full of gusts traveling at speeds similar to their own. Yet they can react almost instantaneously and adapt with their flexible wings.

Shyy and his colleagues have several grants from the Air Force totaling more than $1 million a year to research small flapping wing aircraft. Such aircraft would fly slower than their fixed wing counterparts, and more importantly, they would be able to hover and possibly perch in order to monitor the environment or a hostile area. Shyy's current focus is on the aerodynamics of flexible wings related to micro air vehicles with wingspans between 1 and 3 inches.

„These days. if vallen en opstaan. van you want to design a controlled de flapping wing vehicle you. could build one with but in a environmentwith no wind gusts.“ Shyy said. "We are trying to figure out how to design a vehicle that can perform a mission in an uncertain environment. When the wind blows, how do they stay on course?"

A dragonfly, Shyy says, has remarkable resilience to wind, considering how light it is. The professor chalks that up to its wing structure and flight control. But the details are still questions.

"Weare really just at the beginning of this," Shyy said.

Shyy is the Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson Collegiate Professor of Aerospace Engineering. Other authors of the book, "Aerodynamics of Low Reynolds Number Flyers" are: U-M professor of Biomechanical Engineering at Chiba University in Japan van wetenschappelijk onderzoekersYongsheng Lian. Jian Tang and Dragos Viieru. and Hao Liu.

Other collaborators on this research include professors Luis Bernal, Carlos Cesnik and Peretz Friedmann of the University of Michigan; Hao Liu of Chiba University in Japan; De Hooimijt Lind and Larry Ukeiley of University of Florida. and Sean Humbert of University of Maryland van Ifju. van Peter.

Michigan Engineering:
The University of Michigan College of Engineering is ranked among the top engineering schools in the country. Michigan Engineering boasts one of the largest engineering research budgets of any public university, at more than $130 million annually. Michigan Engineering is home to 11 academic departments and a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center. De hoofdrol in the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute and the Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute van College van The plays a. Within the College, there is a special emphasis on research in three emerging areas: nanotechnology and integrated microsystems; cellular and molecular biotechnology; and information technology. Michigan Engineering is raising $300 million for capital projects and program support in these and other areas to continue fostering breakthrough scholarly advances, an unparalleled scope of student opportunities and contributions that improve the quality of life on an international scale.