Flying

[KittyGlitter]

Do you think we wouldn't have invented the aeroplane, if there were no such things as birds? Obviously, the plane's design is based on a bird.

[KittyGlitter]

Thanks for your reply, I'll take that as a compliment :-)

[brachiopod]

An aeroplane's wing is designed along, and constrained to aerodynamic principles.

A bird's wing has evolved through, and constrained to aerodynamic principles.

They both serve the same purpose, and are governed by the same physical laws.

It's a good question, kitty, but I tend to think man would have been inspired by other objects. (insects, floating leaves, fish etc) that have adapted to, or exist in fluids. (gases and liquids both being fluids)

[Romeo]

I'm sure we would have.  We're British after all, and can damn well invent anything.  We don't have creatures that fly to the moon, yet Stevenson invented the Rocket, didn't he?  :-)

[Bangkok]

Humans have always tried to emulate birds (consider Icarus).   Da Vinci prepared some drawings of a helicopter around 1490 that migh have flown (powered by men pedalling) but had no facility for forward motion.  He also sketched some planes.   If the helicopter had been developed (far harder than planes) then some bright sparck would have said, ahh, if you put wings on and the rotors through 90 degrees then you could go faster and further...maybe

[landie]

I thought that blokes invented the aeroplane, nor birds.

[landie]

Sorry about the spelling, I should have said 'not birds'.