Wind tunnel studies of turns by flying dragonflies

Abstract

High-speed movies of dragonflies turning in flight on flexible tethers show that there are two distinct modes of turning. In the 'conventional' mode, dragonflies use left-right asymmetries in the wing stroke amplitude, and occasionally in the angle of attack, to produce more lift and thrust on one side than the other. This causes the animal to roll into a bank, so that the lift vector has a sideward component; this sideward component produces the turn, much as in an airplane. This type of turn is probably most useful during fast forward flight. The second mode of turning in the 'yaw turn'. Yaw turns are accomplished without banking, and the dragonfly's long axis may turn more than 90 degrees in the period of two wing strokes. The kinematics of this turn could not be as closely analysed, but it appears that dragonflies use drag on the inner wing upstroke and the outer wing downstroke to turn, much like pivoting a rowing boat. This turn may be hampered by drag on the abdomen during fast forward flight and would be most useful at low speeds or during hovering.