LIFT AND VORTEX

Unlike an aeroplane wing which uses a convex shape and powered motion to create a pressure imbalance that creates the upward push that we call lift, a honeybee’s methods of levitation are more complex and adaptive. First the bee locks their wings together (2 on each side) and drives them forward, creating a vortex and just enough lift to delay stalling. Then it rotates the wings in their sockets, capturing pockets of air and driving them backwards to create thrust. During these manoeuvres the wings strike the air at ever-changing series of angles, which provide more lift in the process. In slow-mo, the bee seems to swim through the air like someone doing breaststroke.

It is untrue that bees ‘shouldn’t be able to fly’, that’s a myth. In fact, with such aeronautic acuity on display, it is hardly surprising that engineers are looking at bees for inspiration in our next generation of aircraft and UAV’s.
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