On The Wings Of Seagulls?

If you want to get an advanced look at the future of aircraft design... you may want to head for the beach, and watch as seagulls glide over the waves.

National Geographic magazine reports scientists have found airplane wings shaped similarly to those of some seagulls may reduce drag during flight, thus saving fuel. In fact, a wing modelled after a seagull registered a 4-percent improvement in drag over the theoretical "best" conventional aircraft wing.

So what's different about a seagull-shaped wing? Well, the seagull-wing is highly cambered along its span -- with a prominent bend along the surface, before turning down at the tip.

It's that downturned edge that most interests scientists, says Ken Visser, a NY scientist who is conducting research at Germany's Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology. The design reduces the swirling vortex that disturbs airflow on conventional wings, and keeps the vortex from moving inboard toward the body of the plane.

Despite the promising research, however... it's unlikely we'll see any seagull-inspired planes any time soon over here, as NASA continues to focus its efforts more towards the "space" part of its name, and less and less money is devoted to "aeronautics."

There are also questions of weight, and maneuverability... although the latter seems to hold promise, as well. After all... have you ever seen a seagull dive for food? Nothing moves faster...

FMI: www.sm.go.dlr.de