Fluid-dynamic characteristics of a bristled wing.
Thrips fly at a chord-based Reynolds number of approximately 10 using bristled rather than solid wings. We tested two dynamically scaled mechanical models of a thrips forewing. In the bristled design, cylindrical rods model the bristles of the forewing; the solid design was identical to the bristled one in shape, but the spaces between the 'bristles' were filled in by membrane. We studied four different motion patterns: (i) forward motion at a constant forward velocity, (ii) forward motion at a translational acceleration, (iii) rotational motion at a constant angular velocity and (iv) rotational motion at an angular acceleration. Fluid-dynamic forces acting on the bristled model wing were a little smaller than those on the solid wing. Therefore, the bristled wing of a thrips cannot be explained in terms of increased fluid-dynamic forces.
Sunada
S
S
National Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, 1-2-1 Namiki, Ibaraki 305-8964, Japan. sunada@aero.osakafu-u.ac.jp
Takashima
H
H
Hattori
T
T
Yasuda
K
K
Kawachi
K
K
D000054:Acceleration; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D005426:Flight, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D007313:Insecta / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D012399:Rotation; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*