Re: Pterosaurs, and more pterosaurs!

["Simon M. Clabby" <dinowight@yahoo.co.uk>]

 --- "James R. Cunningham" <jrccea@bellsouth.net>
wrote: > Simon M. Clabby wrote:
> 
> > They can both be seen at
> > 
> >
>
http://www.geocities.com/dinowight/istiodactylus.html
> 
> I notice that its wingspan is report as being both
> 5M and 61.5 feet if I
> didn't misread it.  What is the actual wingspan?

It's 5 metres. I must have used the wrong conversion
factor when imperialising the measurement...

> 
> A quote from the website:
> 
> > Pterosaur bones tend to not be cylindrical, but,
> rather than having a > circular cross-section, they
> have a triangular cross-section, providing >
> strength for the thin-walled bones that allow
> flight.
> 
> As stated, this would appear to be structurally
> incorrect. It is
> certainly an overgeneralization.  And, in aircraft
> terminoligy, the
> 'triangular' cross section (where it occurs fairly
> often) is usually
> called a D-spar since it resembles a letter 'D' with
> the flat side
> oriented aftward far more than it does a triangle. 
> In many pterosaur
> wings, the D-spar shape does not occur.
> Quetzalcoatlus is a good example
> of that, where portions of the wing that have the
> D-spar shape in
> pteranodontids have either a strap-oval shape or a
> modified Tee shape.

Blame my pterosaur lecturer - He told me that. Lorna
did tell me this before, but I clearly forgot to
change it on all the pterosaur pages!
 
> Minor quibbling aside, its a really nice webpage.

Thankyou!

Simon M. Clabby

=====
Find out about the dinosaurs of the Isle of Wight at
    DinoWight- the Dinosaurs of the Isle of Wight
           http://www.geocities.com/dinowight


        
        
                
___________________________________________________________
BT Yahoo! Broadband - Free modem offer, sign up online today and save £80 
http://btyahoo.yahoo.co.uk