Bats and Bugs Share Aerodynamic Trick for Staying Aloft

Researchers have known for awhile that little whirlpools of air stirred up by insects' wing motions can help keep these small organisms aloft as they fly slowly or hover, two activities essential for food foraging. But how a weightier organism—a bat—manages to stay aloft during slow flight has remained unclear.

A new report shows that bats have a similar mechanism as insects when flying slowly, according to a research group comprised of biologists and aerospace engineers. Their findings, which are published in the 29 February issue of Science, indicate that downward strokes of bats' wings produce small cyclones of air that pull the animal upward.

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