...P. Henningsson; A. Hedenström SUMMARY Gliding flight performance and wake topology of a common swift ( Apus apus L.) were examined in a wind tunnel at speeds between 7 and 11 m s –1 . The tunnel was tilted to simulate descending flight at different sink speeds. The swift varied its wingspan, wing...

...P. Henningsson; G. R. Spedding; A. Hedenström SUMMARY In this paper we describe the flight characteristics of a swift ( Apus apus ) in cruising flight at three different flight speeds (8.0, 8.4 and 9.2 m s –1 ) in a low turbulence wind tunnel. The wingbeat kinematics were recorded by high-speed...

... 2002 common swift Apus apus flight Fourier transform harmonic oscillation orientation roosting wind tracking radar autocorrelation Common swifts ( Apus apus ) are remarkable flyers, spending most of their lives on the wing. Some swifts ascend at dusk and fly during the night...