Pterodactyls may soar once more

Airborne drone to be modeled on extinct flying reptile

The futuristic design of the military’s next-generation reconnaissance drone could have an ancient twist: Paleontologists and aeronautical engineers are looking to copy the aerodynamic performance of a flying reptile that lived millions of years ago.

PTERO-MACHINE PAST MEETS PRESENT. Computer analyses hint that a drone designed like the pterodactyl Tapejara wellnhoferi (as envisioned in this computer model) could maneuver better than a drone with a rudder in its tail.