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  • In this activity, students use an online interactive or paper-based graphic organiser to consider how wing size and shape influences the specific flight capabilities of both birds and aircraft.

    The activity helps students practise the science capability ‘Interpret representations’.

    Wings for flight

    Falcon
    Hawk
    Glider
    Helicopter
    Spitfire
    Albatross
    King vulture
    Spy plane
    Godwit
    Airbus
    Swing-wing bomber
    Hummingbird
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    Soaring

      Speed

        Gliding

          Havering

            Manoeuvering

              Endurance

                Unused items

                • Falcon
                • Hawk
                • Glider
                • Helicopter
                • Spitfire
                • Albatross
                • King vulture
                • Spy plane
                • Godwit
                • Airbus
                • Swing-wing bomber
                • Hummingbird

                Wings for flight

                Different wing sizes and shapes allow fliers to have specific flight capabilities. Match birds and aircraft with similar capabilities.

                By the end of this activity, students should be able to:

                • identify and discuss some flight capabilities shared by birds and aircraft, such as soaring and hovering
                • use wing size and shape to match a bird species1 and an aircraft to a specific flight capability
                • consider how designers have observed and adapted2 birds’ wing shapes for use in modern flight technologies.

                Download the Word file (see link below).

                Related content

                The articles Wing loading and Wing aspect ratio explain how the shapes and sizes of birds and planes determine how they might perform and what they might be capable of doing.

                Related activity

                The activity Birds and planes extends some of the science ideas introduced in this activity and provides opportunities to calculate wing loading3.

                1. species: (Abbreviation sp. or spp.) A division used in the Linnean system of classification or taxonomy. A group of living organisms that can interbreed to produce viable offspring.
                2. adaptation: A change in the structure or function of something. In biology, a change in a species, as a result of natural selection. Individuals with a particular feature (adaptation) are more likely to survive and reproduce than individuals without this feature.
                3. wing loading: The loaded weight of an aircraft or weight of a bird divided by the total surface area of the wings.
                Published 16 February 2021 Referencing Hub articles
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                    species

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                  2. (Abbreviation sp. or spp.) A division used in the Linnean system of classification or taxonomy. A group of living organisms that can interbreed to produce viable offspring.

                    adaptation

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                  4. A change in the structure or function of something. In biology, a change in a species, as a result of natural selection. Individuals with a particular feature (adaptation) are more likely to survive and reproduce than individuals without this feature.

                    wing loading

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                  6. The loaded weight of an aircraft or weight of a bird divided by the total surface area of the wings.