gojoe
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Science, Woodpeckers and flight without wings
Played a game of Trivial Pursuit, got a question going: How fast does a Woodpecker peck?
The answer said 2000 km/h (If you're running on miles, do the math yourself :).
Googled a bit and alot of information stated that a woodpecker can peck 15-20 times a second, and if the distance is about 14cm a peck that makes the 2000 km/h.
Another piece of information said a woodpecker will be able to peck continuously for upto one hour.
Giving these facts my question is, would a woodpecker be able to create enough updraft by pecking to fly without using it's wings?
GoJoe
The answer said 2000 km/h (If you're running on miles, do the math yourself :).
Googled a bit and alot of information stated that a woodpecker can peck 15-20 times a second, and if the distance is about 14cm a peck that makes the 2000 km/h.
Another piece of information said a woodpecker will be able to peck continuously for upto one hour.
Giving these facts my question is, would a woodpecker be able to create enough updraft by pecking to fly without using it's wings?
GoJoe
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i want someone to calculate the energy needed to accerlate a mass the size of Woodies head from 0 to 2000kph, then give me the power nessisary to do this in 1/20th of a second?
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it seemed like he'd a bigger radiator than you normally seen on woodpeckers. thanx for doing the math nigel5.
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As you can see I've been pleased by so many of the contributors so I divided the points like a politician how never knows which side to support without checking up on a poll first :-)
/GoJoe
/GoJoe
ASKER
What you're saying is - that if we were to believe the 2000 km/hr, the woodpecker could fly without using it wings, but the landing would kill it??