Re: Bambiraptor complete!

["James R. Cunningham" <jrccea@bellsouth.net>]

For what its worth, depending on the Reynolds number, an unfaired circular tube
with a diameter of about 3 inches can have about the same drag as a faired 
(think
feathers in an airfoil configuration) shape that is 75 inches thick from top to
bottom and about 375 inches long (up to a factor of about 25 reduction in drag
for the faired, feathered shape).  Me, I'll go with feathers for lower drag any
day.

Jim

Dann Pigdon wrote:

> Yes, in the same way that hummingbird feathers impede the wing stroke
> and make the wings so darn slow. :)
>
> "Williams, Tim" wrote:
> >
> > According to some authors, a forelimb with a row of long feathers
> > sprouting out of it could not have functioned in prey-grasping.  This is
> > because (according to these sources - not me) the extra-long feathers would
> > have created drag and impeded rapid predatory strikes by the forelimb
> > against prey.
>
> --
> ________________________________________________________________
>
> Dann Pigdon                   Australian Dinosaurs:
> GIS Archaeologist           http://www.geocities.com/dannsdinosaurs
> Melbourne, Australia        http://www.alphalink.com.au/~dannj/
> ________________________________________________________________