Replies to post #566 on time out / ddf (TODDF)

[gotmilk]

Its clear,

ddf in his prior life, was an Albatross.

The wingspans of the largest great albatrosses are the largest of any bird, exceeding 340 cm (11.2 ft).

The wings are stiff and cambered, with thickened streamlined leading edges.

Albatrosses travel huge distances with two techniques: dynamic soaring and slope soaring.

Dynamic soaring involves repeatedly rising into wind and descending downwind, thus gaining energy
from the vertical wind gradient. The only effort expended is in the turns at the top and bottom
of every such loop. This maneuver allows the bird to cover almost 1000 km/day without flapping its wings.


Slope soaring uses the rising air on the windward side of large waves. Albatross have high glide ratios,
around 22:1 to 23:1, meaning that for every meter they drop, they can travel forward 22 meters.

They are aided in soaring by a shoulder-lock, a sheet of tendon that locks the wing when fully extended,
allowing the wing to be kept outstretched without any muscle expenditure.