“It’s like the bumble-bee problem. According to classical aerodynamics it can’t fly. But then it was discovered that it operates in a different regime and can fly. But then you discover that you can’t scale up a bumble-bee to an airplane. “
I am not sure what you mean by ‘different regime’?
Insect wings create a leading edge trailing vortex of air which provides for a low pressure zone. The vortex is self confining. This approach takes advantage of turbulent fluid flow at a scale in which laminar flow is less effective.
Aircraft wings generate part of their lift from pressure differentials generated by velocity changes of smooth fluid flow over the wings surface. The scale allows pressure zones to form which persist. These wings strive to avoid initiating a turbulent flow, which tends to detach the laminar air flow over their surface (stall.)