A Black Hornet nano helicopter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). (Photo credit: Richard Watt/MOD)
A study reveals that the aerodynamic efficiency of one of the world’s most advanced hummingbird-sized drones, the Black Hornet, is on par with that of actual hummingbirds. While hummingbird wings generate more lift and less drag than an engineered rotor, this shows that artificial man-made wings are closer than ever to approximate the efficiency of these small hovering birds.
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Original research paper published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface on July 29, 2014.
Names and affiliations of selected authors
