Page 138 - The Origin of Birds and Flight

136 The Origin of Birds and Flight

* In the same way as birds’ heads, airplanes have a nose intended to
overcome air resistance.
Modern-day planes’ ability to make sudden maneuvers is much
lower than birds’. In order to manufacture planes with higher maneu-
verability, we need a better understanding of the birds’ aerodynamic
systems. William Zamer of the American National Science Committee
says this about one study performed on birds.
The results may also one day help humans design better vehicles for
both land and air travel. 95
The following statement appeared in a scientific article about birds
in Reader’s Digest magazine:
Compared to birds, a marvel of aerodynamics, even the most advanced
aircraft are nothing more than crude copies. 96

The noses of planes are designed
using the special aerodynamic struc-
ture of birds as a model. Scientists
adapting the perfect solutions found
throughout nature are thus able to
achieve their goals more quickly,
with less time and energy.