DUDLEY, R.: Mechanisms and Implications of Animal Flight Maneuverability

The axial and torsional agility of flying animals derives from interactions between aerodynamic force production and the inertial resistance of the body to translation and rotation, respectively. Anatomical and allometric features of body design thus mediate the rapidity of aerial maneuvers. Both translational and rotational responsiveness to accelerations decrease with increased total mass. The relatively heavy wings of volant vertebrates render their wing and body moments of inertia of comparable magnitude. By contrast, insect taxa with the exception of the Lepidoptera possess relatively light wings and correspondingly enjoy a reduction in relative inertial resistance to body rotation. In many flying vertebrates, use of the tail facilitates the generation of aerodynamic torques and substantially enhances axial agility. Contrasting with maneuvers, stability in flight requires force and moment balances that are attained via bilateral symmetry in wingbeat kinematics. All volant animals fly using bilaterally paired appendages, whereas energetic costs of morphological and kinematic asymmetries between contralateral wings may be substantial. Geometrical constraints on wingbeat kinematics may limit force production and thus flight agility in many behavioral circumstances. Unitary limits to animal flight performance and maneuverability are unlikely, however, given varied and context-specific interactions among anatomical, biomechanical, and energetic features of design.