Hummingbird Aerodynamics- High Speed Video - Smarter Every Day 27 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Researchers use olive oil and lasers to study hummingbird flight and discover that 70% of their lift comes from the fore stroke.

Key Insights

• 👱 Flying slowly and at zero air velocity is challenging for birds like hummingbirds due to the reduced airflow over their control surfaces.
• 💐 Researchers are able to study hummingbird flight by spraying olive oil and using lasers to visualize the flow field.
• 🦾 The study shows that 70% of the hummingbird's lift comes from the fore stroke, providing new insights into their flight mechanics.
• 🍸 The purpose and significance of the tail flick observed in hummingbirds is still unknown.
• 😤 Dr. Doug Warrick and his team are working on a model to further study the tail flick behavior and its implications for hummingbird flight.
• ✈️ The Phantom camera by Vision Research is used to capture footage of hummingbirds in flight.
• 💁 Additional information and resources on the topic can be found in the video description.

Transcript

Hey it's me Destin. So to fly slow is one of the more difficult things to do because you don't have as much airflow over your control surfaces. To fly at zero air velocity is the hardest thing to do of all. Over the past weekend I've been making observations of hummingbird flight in my back yard. So let's look at my observations and then we'll come... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How do researchers study hummingbird flight?

Researchers spray olive oil in the air around hummingbirds and use lasers to measure the flow field, allowing them to visualize and analyze the bird's flight patterns.

Q: What did the study reveal about hummingbird flight?

The study found that 70% of the hummingbird's lift comes from the fore stroke, contrary to the previously believed 50-50 distribution between fore and back strokes.

Q: What is the purpose of the tail flick observed in hummingbirds?

Researchers are unsure of the exact purpose of the tail flick but speculate that it may be related to changing airflow around the bird's body or adjusting its center of gravity for maneuvering.

Q: What are researchers doing to further study the tail flick behavior?

The researchers are developing a six degree of freedom model to study the tail flick behavior and its impact on hummingbird flight.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Researchers at Oregon State University and University of Montana use olive oil and lasers to study the flow field around hummingbirds and calculate how they stay aloft.

• The study reveals that 70% of the hummingbird's lift comes from the fore stroke, while 30% comes from the back stroke.

• The researchers are still uncertain about the purpose of the tail flick observed in hummingbirds and are conducting further studies.