Bird Flight Performance: A Practical Calculation Manual

Abstract

The mechanical approach to flight energetics - the aeronautical approach, power required and power available, uses and limitations of the programs variables needed for flight calculations - dimensions and units, standard measurements, work, power and metabolic rate power required for horizontal flight - synthesis of the power curve, fuel consumption in relation to distance BASIC programs for flight calculations - using a pre-recorded program disc fuel consumed on short and long flights, transferring the programs to other computers, entering the programs from the listings, testing and debugging the reality behind the power calculations - Reynolds number and the concept of scale, drag and drag coefficient, profile power and the flow around wings, induced power and vortex wakes gliding performance calculations - fixed span glide polar, gliding performance with variable wing span, soaring power available from the muscles - work and power output of the myofibrils, power output of aerobic muscles, scaling of power available and power required, cost of maintaining a steady force example calculations with the BASIC programs - checking program 1 against physiological results other problems involving fuel consumption, problems involving mechanical power only, gliding and soaring, scale effects with Program 1, further uses of the programs. Appendices: program listings and specimen output units and dimensions list of symbols some properties of the standared atmosphere.