- 9,295
- Duisburg
It's like physics - we can't explain why a bumble bee is able to fly
Actually, yes, we can. It's just a widely spread urban myth that, according to our physics, bumblebees shouldn't be able to fly....
WikipediaThe calculations that purported to show that bumble bees cannot fly are based upon a simplified linear treatment of oscillating aerofoils. The method assumes small amplitude oscillations without flow separation. This ignores the effect of dynamic stall, an airflow separation inducing a large vortex above the wing, which briefly produces several times the lift of the aerofoil in regular flight. More sophisticated aerodynamic analysis shows that the bumblebee can fly because its wings encounter dynamic stall in every oscillation cycle.
Yeah, that's enough smartassery, I know
I'll go get my coat...