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SCIENCE

2007, August 10, Friday

AVIATION of the Future (1/2)

Flying creatures may help humans create new methods of flight

As the nocturnal owl stalks its prey, fringe-like feathers hang off the bird and muffle the whooshing air. Even a sharp-eared mouse can't hear the owl swoop in.

That lesson in aerodynamics provides a valuable guide for aviation experts who are crafting a new technology. They've incorporated the concept into the Silent Aircraft Initiative, a plan to create a plane that would make no noticeable noise outside an airport.

It has been more than 100 years since the Wright brothers first took flight. Since then, humans have invented jet engines, shattered the sound barrier and created an airline system so safe that accidents have nearly been eliminated.

But as scientists attempt to improve planes of the future, they are finding that super computers and aerodynamic theory are often no match for nature, which has created a virtual test bed of clever solutions to aerodynamic problems, according to some of the top experts in aviation.  

New ideas

In labs around the world, biologists and aerodynamicists are studying birds, bats, insects and even extinct flying dinosaurs for inspiration.

= NASA and the military have funded extensive research into planes that mimic birds' ability to shift the size and shape of their wings. The work promises to create aircraft capable of far more versatile and efficient flight.

= Birds, bats and other creatures have millions of nerves in their wings that sense minute shifts in winds, allowing them to save precious energy and to maneuver far more nimbly than any human-designed aircraft. Research groups are experimenting with flying machines that have computer-driven sensors to do the same thing.

= Living creatures that fly have elaborate natural system to monitor their health and to repair themselves after suffering injuries. Aerodynamic experts believe that adopting such techniques in flying machines will make them safer and more reliable.

Vocabulary Focus

muffle (v) ---to make a sound quieter and less clear

extinct (adj) ---not now existing

versatile (adj) ---able to change easily

minute (adj) ---extremely small

nimbly (adv) ---in a quick and exact manner

elaborate (adj) ---containing a lot of careful detail or many detailed parts

Specialized Terms

aerodynamics (n) --- 空气动力学 the science which studies the movement of gases and the way solid bodies, such as aircraft, move through them

sound barrier (n. phr) --- 音障 the sharp increase in air resistance experienced by aircraft approaching the speed of sound

test bed (n. phr) --- 测试平台 a place equipped and designed for testing something under working conditions