Estimating the Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow

style.org ^ | November 17, 2003 | Jonathan Corum

[thoughtomator]

Estimating the Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow

Hashing out the classic question with Strouhal numbers and simplified flight waveforms.

by Jonathan Corum

After spending some time last month trying to develop alternate graphic presentations for kinematic ratios in winged flight, I decided to try to answer one of the timeless questions of science: just what is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

What do you mean, an African or European Swallow?

To begin with, I needed basic kinematic data on African and European swallow species.

		South African Swallow (Hirundo spilodera)	European Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Although 47 of the 74 worldwide swallow species are found in Africa,¹ only two species are named after the continent: the West African Swallow (Hirundo domicella) and the South African Swallow (Hirundo spilodera), also known as the South African Cave Swallow.

Since the range of the South African Swallow extends only as far north as Zaire,² I felt fairly confident that this was the non-migratory African species referred to in previous discussions of the comparative and cooperative weight-bearing capabilities of African and European swallows....

[tarzantheapeman]

What is your favorite color?

Red ... no blue ... no ...

AAAhhh!!!!!!!

(or something to that effect)

[shekkian]

How much energy would it take for a swallow to carry a coconut?

[socal_parrot]

Help! Help! I'm being repressed!

[Military family member]

The live musical verision, "Spamalot," has opened on broadway

[thoughtomator]

I thought you were kidding... apparently not. I gotta see that.

[Military family member]

As I understand it, it's sold out a long time in advance

[crnhskr1]

And now for something compleatly different.

[crnhskr1]

The LARCH

[Dashing Dasher]

PLAID

[RVN Airplane Driver]

You wrote:How much energy would it take for a swallow to carry a coconut?

Equally interesting question is "how much energy would it take for a swallow to swallow a coconut? Inquiring minds need to know...

[vin-one]

bring me a shrubbery

Or I will say NI,

NI NI NI

[GoldCountryRedneck]

"..Estimating the Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow...."

Depends on how fast she....

*oh*

birds..

never mind ....

[melbell]

"that's not a horse...you've got two coconuts and you're bangin' 'em together!"

[dfwgator]

Look, strange women lying on their backs in ponds handing out swords ... that's no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.