Supersonic flying insects

[sammmo]

I was in my garden yesterday and saw two insects flying around at great speeds.If these insects were the size of a fighter jet would they actually be faster than the jet? also which insect is the fastest flying insect? and how can they fly so fast..

[Clanad]

Not even close... the fastest flying insect is probably the Dragonfly and it only makes it up to 35 mph... heck, we have horses here in the western U.S. that can run faster than that... especially if being chased by a Dragonfly...

[sidkid]

Clanad, you need to read the question again....

[classylady60]

Know what you mean sammmo...some are wizzardly fast, glad they aren't bigger than they are or else we'd be ducking n diving them....imagine how hard they'd hit if they struck you...ouch.

[DTCwordfan]

can you race them?

[Clanad]

Re-read it sid... still asks if insects are faster than jets, no? Also asks which is fastest insect, no? (Size makes no difference... 35mph is still 35 mph, no?)

[qula]

Yes Clanad, I think sammmo was talking about scale speeds. I've just done a quick google and come up with this:
Dragonfly - max length 85mm
Eurofighter - length 15.96M
Approx ratio 1:188
If a dragonfly can reach 35mph then it's scale speed would be 6580mph, far faster than the Eurofighter at 1550mph and easily the fastest non orbital thing ever seen.

[classylady60]

DT, can you get jockeys that size?

[ChuckFickens]

Taking clanads answer as a basis.

Dragonflys are about 3 inches long and fly at 35MPH

F15 fighers are 68.3 feet long. meaning they are about 255 times longer than a dragonfly.

255*35=8925MPH if the speed scaled up the same as the size.

Anyone want a 60foot long dragonfly that can do Mach 11.

[DTCwordfan]

not at my local outfitters, classy - thought that one may wake you up! lol

Haven't tried M&S (Midget & Small)'s though.....

[Clanad]

So, qula, you're suggesting size ratio results in speed ratio? Unique concept...

[classylady60]

Lol DT....good one that lol.

[cazzz1975]

there are a smaller version of those as well they are a blueish colour, very odd looking, they almost look like a blue stick insect with wings

http://www.dragonflysoc.org.uk/encya.html

[qula]

It's a fun question and a fun concept to scale everything up Clanad.

[nightmare]

cazz, that is a common damselfly, not a dragonfly.
There are technical differences, but I do not want to list them, unless someone even more pedantic points out any inaccuracies.

[cazzz1975]

thats okay, thanks for the heads up, I am an ignoramus in the nature world, I found them quite compelling to watch though.

[ChuckFickens]

The idea of scale speed is quite common on the RC world, it's a ridicules notion of course but gives people a nice large number to look at and go oooo.

[wildwood]

The scale exercise can be very deceiving.

A chihuahua is 1/10th the weight of a GSD and can easily reach 20kph.
By that reckoning a GSD should be able to run 200kph.

[qula]

Physics aside, it's just a laugh wildwood, a 16M dragonfly would collapse under it's own weight and if it tried to flap it's wings they would fold up and sheer off.

[sammmo]

thanks Qula..I was talking about scale speed.. Would a dragonfly's scalespeed be faster than a perigrin falcon. therefore making it the fastest creature on the planet..