Can birds fly in zero G?

[texsize]

I did a quick google search and got both yess and no as an answer.
Is there a physicist in the house?

I did find a YouTube vid of pigeons on the “vomit comet”.
they kinda flew so I think thoes in the no side are wrong.
But the vomit comet is not very stable so the motion of the birds may not be flying.

this is something that needs study.
maybe in the future we will have space stations large enough that people could strap on wings like in Heinlein’s book “The menace From Earth”.

 

[Flboy]

Presents some really interesting problems!

 

[SailBoat]

I am not a physicist by any means.
Flight on Earth is based on the wonders of our atmosphere and its volume (thickness) which birds use to create a bubble of compressed air to fly on. When they switch to gliding, its the volume (thickness) that provides the resistance in which they glide on.
Gravity holds our Atmosphere in place. IF, our gravity field weakened, we would begin to loose our atmosphere as the solar winds work at stripping it away. At some point, the chemicals we use to breath would fall to a level that unless one has support breathing equipment we would die of a lack of air.
To your question; the birds would die from the the lack of air and the question of flight in zero gravity becomes a non-discussion. Although two very different things, they are interdependent. To be very specific, Birds of Earth must have both to fly.
Can birds fly in created zero gravity, yes! But they would have to adjust their methods.

 

[wrench13]

Boats I think the answer needs some refinement. Yes in a vacuum A bird can;t fly, so if you made a little space helmet so the bird can live, she would not be able to fly. However, in say in the Shuttle or the Space Lab, where an atmosphere has to be provided, I think yes, a bird can fly, as flying involves wings pushing against the mass of the air, and that the the two environments do provide. Might surprise the heck out of the bird for sure, but I think they would adapt after a few crash landings.

 

[texsize]

Yes I to think there would be a learning curve.
BUT.
Isn’t it a little like putting a big fan on a sailboat?
a birds flight (for most birds) is dependent on creating lift to fight gravity. I think hummingbirds might have a big advantage cuz they can creat lift both on the down beat and on the upswing of the wings.

And the thing that keeps going through my mind is “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
I don’t know how to put into words that the movement of the wings back/forth and up/down will cancel each other out.
Like a small child trying to swing on a swing before he understands how to shift his weight. He rocks back/forth without gaining any movement or height.

 

[texsize]

I asked Alexa the question and got a funny response.
She says yes but only in a strait line.
When I examined her answer more closely I found out she was referring to the Angry Birds in space GAME

 

[SailBoat]

The reality of bird flight is that the action in their adjustment of their wings that allow them to cut though the air in the upstroke which allows them to cheat the Rule of an equal reaction. At the top of that upstroke, they readjust their wings again and grab a large bubble of air and compress it below them.

Flight within the space station is possible (low to no gravity) but would require less effort to off-set less to no gravity.

The loss in muscle mass would be similar to Humans, which implies that they would have limited flight on earth until they regained their strength.

Birds in 'space' (no atmosphere) would not be able to fly even if they are provided supplemental air as they would have nothing for their wings to compress. In the Space Station, yes. Because there is a created atmosphere.

 

[fiddlejen]

.....liittle teeennnyy tiny space helmets for birdies!!!!!!.......

 

[texsize]

Yess I do like the picture but I picture it more like a diving suit. Little bubble helmet and air tanks on back.

maybe we need a cartoon Buck Rogers like with the lede role a a parrot.

 

[SailBoat]

The Jet Packs would be interesting as they would need to be high above the feathers to limit heat and preventing burning of their very tiny skin. Heat would also vastly damage the feathers. but not burn them as fire in space is not possible with out oxygen.

Hmmm, thinking that one of your Amazons would be near prefect for the role, Wes!!

 

[HeatherG]

I believe birds could fly in zero G with air (like a shuttle or space station). I’m not sure about flight in a vacuum.

A physicist could be asked but could only answer about a perfectly spherical bird. 😝