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Flight in nature II: How animal flyers land

Part of: The RAeS Written Paper Prizes 2016

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2016

R.A. Jiménez Manzanera  and
SH. Smith
SH. Smith*
Affiliation:
School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK
*
howard.smith@cranfield.ac.uk
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Abstract

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In this review paper, different landing strategies of diverse species of animal flyers and gliders, both extinct and extant, are analysed. These methods vary depending on the animal group and the sensory system used by the animal to detect its landing site. In almost all species the use of delayed stall during the landing manoeuvre was observed. Sometimes wing flapping was used to aid in deceleration. With respect to guidance and navigation, most insect, bird and mammal gliders use their vision to guide them to landing via optical flow or motion parallax. Bats, which are nocturnal creatures, rely on their auditory system as they use echolocation to find their nesting site. Some butterfly and moth species guide themselves to landing using their olfactory sense as they follow pheromone trails. The information presented here can be used as a source of information for novel bio-inspired unmanned aircraft design.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 119 , Issue 1213 , March 2015 , pp. 281 - 299
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 2015

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