Flying Fish Inspires Airplane Design

Biomimicry, according to the Biomimicry Institute, is the search for sustainable solutions to human problems by mimicking solutions that are already found in nature. This practice has been coupled with 3D printing technology multiple times, and researchers at Tokai University in Japan are currently studying a specific type of flying fish - the ribbon halfbeak - to come up with a better design for a specific type of airplane. The ribbon halfbeak species, which is essentially the animal version of tandem wing airplanes, can fly above the sea surface, but they differ from real flying fish in that they don't have hind wing fins, which are typically necessary for gliding above the water. Read more at 3DPrint.com: http://3dprint.com/180228/3d-printed-model-flying-fish/

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