Page 182 - For Men of Understanding

THE HELICOPTER
AND THE
DRAGONFLY

MBB, a company producing weaponry and
rockets, has taken the aerodynamic structure
and flight style of the dragonfly as a model for the
manufacture of BO-105 type helicopters.
Sikorsky Helicopter Company of the US developed a new design
by directly adapting the methods the dragonfly uses for flight
to helicopters. This process is shown above with its
intermediate stages during the design of the helicopter.

AEROPLANE WINGS
AND THE DRAGONFLY

In 1930s, engineers started to modify the edges of aeroplane
wings to prevent the vibrations caused by air currents from
harming the vehicle. Twenty years later, scientists found out
that this system had already been present in the wings of
the dragonfly. The small black cells at the tip of the wings of
the dragonfly serve the same function as the weight on the
tip of aeroplane wings.

THE VULTURE
AND THE AEROPLANE

The vulture opens the feathers at the tip of its
wings like the fingers of a hand and thus
diminishes the air whirlpools formed by its
wings. (left) The picture above shows a model
that is prepared to apply the same aerodynamic
structure to aeroplanes.