German engineers mimic humpback whale to increase helicopter stability
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 - 11:31
in Biology & Nature
(PhysOrg.com) -- Whale researchers have known for some time that humpback whales are able to perform feats of underwater acrobatics that belie their huge size and that some of that ability is partly due to the bumps they have on the leading edge of their dorsal fins. Now, engineers at the DLR Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology in Germany have applied the same idea to the leading edges of helicopter rotors and have found that doing so allows for greater stability and faster flight.