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.
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