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Sikorsky’s model for transporting personnel and artillery was built upon examples derived from dragonflies
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The
Inspiration for the Helicopter: The Dragonfly
The
flight system of these insects is nothing less than a wonder of design. The
world’s leading helicopter manufacturer, Sikorsky, finished the design of one
of their helicopters by taking the dragonfly as a model.
[1]
IBM, which assisted
Sikorsky in this project, started by putting a model of a dragonfly in a
computer (IBM 3081). Two thousand special renderings were done on computer in
the light of the maneuvers of the dragonfly in air. Therefore, Sikorsky’s
model for transporting personnel and artillery was built upon examples derived
from dragonflies.
Gilles
Martin, a nature photographer, has done a two year study examining dragonflies,
and he also concluded that these creatures have an extremely complex flight
mechanism.
The
body of a dragonfly looks like a helical structure wrapped with metal. Two wings
are cross-placed on a body that displays a color gradation from ice blue to
maroon. Because of this structure, the dragonfly is equipped with superb
maneuverability. No matter at what speed or direction it is already moving, it
can immediately stop and start flying in the opposite direction. Alternatively,
it can remain suspended in air for the purpose of hunting. At that position, it
can move quite swiftly towards its prey. It can accelerate up to a speed that is
quite surprising for an insect: 25mph (40km/h), which would be identical to an
athlete running 100 meters in the Olympics at 24.4mph (39km/h).
At
this speed, it collides with its prey. The shock of the impact is quite strong.
However, the armory of the dragonfly is both very resistant and very flexible.
The flexible structure of its body absorbs the impact of collision. However, the
same cannot be said for its prey. The dragonfly’s prey would pass out or even
be killed by the impact.
Following
the collision, the rear legs of dragonfly take on the role of its most lethal
weapons. The legs stretch forward and capture the shocked prey, which is then
swiftly dismembered and consumed by powerful jaws.
The
sight of the dragonfly is as impressive as is its ability to perform sudden
maneuvers at high speed. The eye of the dragonfly is accepted as the best
example among all the insects. It has a pair of eyes, each of which features
approximately thirty thousand different lenses. Two semi-spherical eyes, each
nearly half the size of the head, provide the insect a very wide visual field.
Because of these eyes, the dragonfly can almost keep an eye on its back.
Therefore,
the dragonfly is an assemblage of systems, each of which has a unique and
perfect structure. Any malfunction in any one of these systems would derail the
other systems as well. However, all of these systems are created without flaw
and, hence, the creature lives on.
Mechanics
of Flight
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The sight of the dragonfly is as impressive as is its ability to perform sudden manoeuvres at high speed
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The
wings of flies are vibrated according to the electric signals conducted by the
nerves. For example, in a grasshopper each one of these nerve signals results in
one contraction of the muscle that in turn moves the wing. Two opposing muscle
groups, known as “lifters” and “sinkers”, enable the wings to move up
and down by pulling in opposite directions.
Grasshoppers
flap their wings twelve to fifteen times a second but smaller insects need a
higher rate in order to fly. For instance, while honeybees, wasps and flies flap
their wings 200 to 400 times per second this rate goes up to 1000 in sandflies
and some 1mm long parasites.[2] Another explicit evidence of perfect creation is a
1mm long flying creature that can flap its wings at the extraordinary rate of
one thousand times a second without burning, tearing or wearing out the insect.
When
we examine these flying creatures a little closer, our appreciation for their
design multiplies.
It
was mentioned that their wings are activated by means of electrical signals
conducted through the nerves. However, a nerve cell is only capable of
transmitting a maximum of 200 signals per second. Then, how is it possible for
the little flying insects to achieve 1000 wing flaps per second?
The
flies that flap wings 200 times per second have a nerve-muscle relationship that
is different from that of grasshoppers. There is one signal conducted for each
ten wing flaps. In addition, the muscles known as fibrous muscles work in a way
different from the grasshopper’s muscles. The nerve signals only alert the
muscles in preparation for the flight and, when they reach a certain level of
tension, they relax by themselves.
There
is a system in flies, honeybees, and wasps that transforms wing flaps into
“automatic” movements. The muscles that enable flight in these insects are
not directly tied to the bones of the body. The wings are attached to the chest
with a joint that functions like a pivot. The muscles that move the wings are
connected at the bottom and top surfaces of the chest. When these muscles
contract, the chest moves in the opposite direction, which, in turn, creates a
downward pull.
Relaxing
a group of muscles automatically results in contraction of an opposite group
followed by relaxation. In other words, this is an “automatic system”. This
way, muscle movements continue without interruption until an opposite alert
signal is delivered through the nerves that control the system.[
3]
A
flight mechanism of this sort could be compared to a clock that works on the
basis of a wound spring. The parts are so strategically located that a single
move easily sets the wings in motion. It is impossible not to see the flawless
design in this example. The perfect creation of Allah is evident.
System
Behind the Thrusting Force
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The halteres move as the flight direction changes, and prevent the insect from losing its direction
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It
is not enough to flap wings up and down in order to maintain smooth flight. The
wings have to change angles during each flap to create a force of thrust as well
as an up-lift. The wings have a certain flexibility for rotation depending on
the type of insect. The main flight muscles, which also produce the necessary
energy for flight, provide this flexibility.
For
instance, in ascending higher, these muscles between wing joints contract
further to increase the wing angle. Examinations conducted utilising high-speed
film techniques revealed that the wings followed an elliptical path while in
flight. In other words, the fly does not only move its wings up and down but it
moves them in a circular motion as in rowing a boat on water. This motion is
made possible by the main muscles.
The
greatest problem encountered by insect species with small bodies is inertia
reaching significant levels. Air behaves as if stuck to the wings of these
little insects and reduces wing efficiency greatly. Therefore, some insects, the
wing size of which does not exceed one mm, have to flap their wings 1000 times
per second in order to overcome inertia.
Researchers
think that even this speed alone is not enough to lift the insect and that they
make use of other systems as well.
As
an example, some types of small parasites, Encarsia, make use of a method called
“clap and peel”. In this method, the wings are clapped together at the top
of the stroke and then peeled off. The front edges of the wings, where a hard
vein is located, separate first, allowing airflow into the pressurised area in
between. This flow creates a vortex helping the up-lift force of the wings
clapping.[
4]
There
is another special system created for insects to maintain a steady position in
the air. Some flies have only a pair of wings and round shaped organs on the
back called halteres. The halteres beat like a normal wing during flight but do
not produce any lift like wings do. The halteres move as the flight direction
changes, and prevent the insect from losing its direction. This system resembles
the gyroscope used for navigation in today’s aircraft.[
5]
It
is evident that this system is an example of creation. No coincidental process
can explain an intricate design. All of the systems that we have explored so far
uniformly demonstrate that there is an extraordinary design to even the least
significant of creatures such as flies. Any single fly is a miracle that
testifies to the flawless design in the creation of Allah.
In
the Qur’an, Allah invites all humans to consider this fact:
Mankind!
An example has been made, so listen to it carefully. Those whom you call upon
besides Allah are not even able to create a single fly, even if they were to
join together to do it. And if a fly steals something from them, they cannot get
it back. How feeble are both the seeker and the sought! (Surat al-Hajj: 73)
*The
author, who writes under the pen-name Harun Yahya, has published many
books on political, faith-related and scientific issues. Some of the books of
the author have been translated into English, German, French, Spanish, Italian,
Portuguese, Albanian, Arabic, Polish, Russian, Bosnian, Indonesian, Turkish,
Tatar, Urdu and Malay and published in the countries concerned. Visit his
website at www.harunyahya.com
or contact him at info@harunyahya.com
[1]
“Exploring The Evolution of Vertical Flight at The Speed of Light”,
Discover, October 1984, pp. 44-45.
[2]
Ali Demirsoy, Yasamin Temel Kurallari (Basic Fundamentals of Life), Ankara,
Meteksan AS., Volume II, Section II, 1992, p. 737.
[3]
Bilim ve Teknik Görsel Bilim ve Teknik Ansiklopedisi (Encyclopedia of
Science and Technology), Istanbul, Görsel Publications, p. 2676.
[4]
Bilim ve Teknik Görsel Bilim ve Teknik Ansiklopedisi (Encyclopedia of
Science and Technology) p. 2679.
[5]
Smith Atkinson, Insects, London, Research Press, Volume I, 1989, p. 246.
