LEARNING FROM FISH

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 71, 20 September 1930, Page 25

LEARNING FROM FISH

AVIATORS 5 PROBLEMS SOLVED HERE

A comparison of Colonel Charles'A. Lindbergh's famous monoplane, the Lockheed Sirius; in' which ho recently made his transcontinental record-break-ing flight, to a certain type of flying fish called the "herocypselus," yields an amazing similarity between the man-made flying machine and the winged aquatic creature. This striking likeness was pointed out in a recent meeting at the American Museum of Natural History in New Tor It City, by C. M. Bredcr, of the New York Aquarium. "The heroeypse-lus typo of fish has bnt two wings and a streamlined body built with an evident view toward jspeed," Mr. Breder told the fish experts. "These may be compared directly with corresponding fusclagi types of modern aeroplanes. I There aro two highly specialised I types of oceanic flying fish. One type | may be compared to a monoplane, with a pair of long, narrow main wings and both lateral and vertical rudders further back. Tho other typo may bo compared to a very advanced biplane with the under-wings staggered far back. I "These fishes are essentially gliders j and resemble a powerful 'plane about as closely as do the more evident sailplanes. Considering these fishes from the standpoint of aerodynamics, they may bo discussed in tho terminology ordinarily applied to the present-day aeroplane. No modern aerodynamicalengineer would think of placing the elevating planes anterior to tho main supporting' planes, as was first dono, on th. perfectly sound grounds of safety, and no flying animal that we know of over developed such a sensitive but unstable arrangement."

Equipped with gossamer wings much like those of a biplane, and a tail that acts in the same capacity as the "elevator" on. a plane, the flying fish is able to catapult over the sea for a distance of thirty yards a-nd more and at such terrific speed'^that when it collides with the side of a boat, it dashes itself to death.. . ■ / Very few of all the so-called flying fish are true gliders, according to Dr. Ernest Bado in "Science and Invention." The majority hurl themselves out of the water and then employ their comparatively large and well developed pectoral fins as gliding surfaces. The organs of flight, or, better, gliding, are far moro perfect acd more highly developed in the salt-wator fish. The large pectoral fins of these animals when extended horizontally, produce a very good gliding surface, and in the flying fish the peculiarly formed tail fins also aid in its flight. The tail fins of all fishes act like propellers in driving or "sculling" the creature through the water. Flying fish represent an incomplete aeroplane and the lower, somewhat lengthened tail fin may be considered as acting like a propeller when the fin is partially submerged. Then, too, the flying fish take advantage of rising air currents produced at the crest of the waves. They cover considerable distances in the air, and flights of approximately 600 feet have been observed! The jump from the water is aidod by a lively fluttering movement. The fish beat their pectoral fins when they reach the crest of their flight. Then the gliding membrane is stretched horizontally or slightly upward and the fish glides gently downward. And so, watching and studying during centuries of restless activity, the brain of man has attempted to solve tlio problem of building a flying machine which would.carry him. at will into the dizzy heights of the air just as a bont is carried upon, the ooeau.

Travellers en route to Catalina Island, which is twenty-five miles olfshoro from. Southern California., arc often treated to the novol sight of "flocks" of flying fish, native to those waters. They arc usually eighteen inches long and weigh, around two and a half pounds.