Meeting Abstract

55.5  Tuesday, Jan. 5  Rowing through air: A new mode of forward flight in insects COHEN, I.*; RISTROPH, L.; BERGOU, A. J.; GUCKENHEIMER, J.; WANG, Z. J.; Cornell University; Cornell University; Cornell University; Cornell University; Cornell University ic64@cornell.edu

We show that fruit flies employ rowing or paddling motions of their wings to generate drag-based thrust during forward flight. An aerodynamic model shows that this mode of locomotion has the advantage of recruiting drag to maneuver while maintaining lift that keeps the insect aloft. Further, despite the importance of fluid inertia over viscosity (Re = 100), the generated thrust primarily overcomes a viscous-like resistive force rather than body inertia. Thus, organisms as different in scale as swimming bacteria and flying animals can experience remarkably similar locomotion dynamics.