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Updated: Jul 25, 2025
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Using a Thermal Camera to Measure Heat Loss Through Bird Feather Coats
Published on: June 17, 2020
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Covert-inspired flaps: an experimental study to understand the interactions between upperwing and underwing covert
Diaa A Zekry1, Taewoo Nam2, Rikin Gupta2
1Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States of America.
Bioinspiration & Biomimetics
|June 27, 2023
Summary
Bird wing coverts, inspired by feather flaps, effectively control aerodynamic forces and moments. Simultaneous deployment on upper and lower wing sides offers greater modulation, crucial for flight maneuverability.
Area of Science:
- Bio-inspired engineering
- Aerodynamics
- Fluid mechanics
Background:
- Birds exhibit remarkable flight agility, partly due to feather articulation.
- Covert feathers deploy on both upper and lower wing surfaces during flight.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the aerodynamic impact of upper and lower side covert-inspired flaps.
- Analyze interactions between simultaneously deployed upper and lower side flaps.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a feather-inspired flap system in wind tunnel experiments.
- Developed data-driven models to analyze aerodynamic responses.
Main Results:
- Covert-inspired flaps modulate lift, drag, and pitching moment.
- Simultaneous upper and lower flap deployment yielded enhanced force and moment modulation.
- Significant interactions between upper and lower flaps were observed, particularly near stall.
Conclusions:
- Findings support the biological role of coverts in bird flight control.
- Provides a framework for designing bio-inspired flow and flight control devices for vehicles.
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