Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
I'd like to see a dire eagle take off.
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Zzyzx" data-source="post: 3624364" data-attributes="member: 34319"><p>Takeoffs a problem for giant bird</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070703/ap_on_sc/biggest_bird;_ylt=AnMvN0gCzX1GwlnwRjeKFTRvieAA" target="_blank">http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070703/ap_on_sc/biggest_bird;_ylt=AnMvN0gCzX1GwlnwRjeKFTRvieAA</a></p><p> </p><p>By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer Mon Jul 2, 11:00 PM ET</p><p>WASHINGTON - Weighing in at 150 pounds or more, the all-time biggest bird couldn't just hop into the air and fly away, researchers say. A team led by Sankar Chatterjee of Texas Tech University used computer programs originally designed for aircraft to analyze the probable flight characteristics of Argentavis magnificens, a giant bird that lived in South America 6 million years ago. Like today's condors and other large birds, Argentavis would have had to rely on updrafts to remain in the air.</p><p></p><p>Doing so, it could have soared for long distances, they conclude in a paper in Tuesday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.</p><p></p><p>Remains of Argentavis have been found both in the plains of northern Argentina, called pampas, and also in the foothills of the Andes.</p><p></p><p>With a wingspan of about 23 feet, Argentavis is the largest known flying bird, the researchers said.</p><p></p><p>By measuring the size of the bones they determined how large its flight muscles would have been, and calculated that it would not have been capable of takeoff or of sustained flight just by flapping its wings.</p><p></p><p>"Gliding would not be a problem, it would be the takeoff, that is the main limiting factor," Chatterjee said in a telephone interview. "In the mountains, takeoff was not a problem, but sooner or later it would come to the plain."</p><p></p><p>As far as getting airborne there, Chatterjee suggested the birds could launch from a high point in the foothills. In addition, with a slight headwind and as little as a 10-degree downhill slope they would probably have been able to take off in a running start, the researchers said.</p><p></p><p>But it looks like this was just about the size limit for a flying bird, he said.</p><p></p><p>A steady east wind blowing from the Atlantic Ocean and rising in the foothills of the mountains would have created ideal conditions for soaring flight, in which they estimated the giant hunter could reach 40 mph.</p><p></p><p>"Large broad-winged landbirds, such as eagles, buzzards, storks and vultures with slotted wings are masters of thermals and travel cross-country by gliding in circles," they researchers said.</p><p></p><p>Thermals are areas of rising warm air and can often be easily determined from a distance because cumulus clouds develop above them when the moisture in that air cools and condenses.</p><p></p><p>In every culture there are tales of large birds, whether local Indians, Hindus or others, Chatterjee observed.</p><p></p><p>"Now we can show that they actually existed," he said, though this bird lived millions of years before humans walked the planet.</p><p></p><p>And with a skull nearly two feet long, Argentavis "was catching sizable prey with its formidable beak."</p><p></p><p>The research was funded by the National Geographic Society and Texas Tech University.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Zzyzx, post: 3624364, member: 34319"] Takeoffs a problem for giant bird [url]http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070703/ap_on_sc/biggest_bird;_ylt=AnMvN0gCzX1GwlnwRjeKFTRvieAA[/url] By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer Mon Jul 2, 11:00 PM ET WASHINGTON - Weighing in at 150 pounds or more, the all-time biggest bird couldn't just hop into the air and fly away, researchers say. A team led by Sankar Chatterjee of Texas Tech University used computer programs originally designed for aircraft to analyze the probable flight characteristics of Argentavis magnificens, a giant bird that lived in South America 6 million years ago. Like today's condors and other large birds, Argentavis would have had to rely on updrafts to remain in the air. Doing so, it could have soared for long distances, they conclude in a paper in Tuesday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Remains of Argentavis have been found both in the plains of northern Argentina, called pampas, and also in the foothills of the Andes. With a wingspan of about 23 feet, Argentavis is the largest known flying bird, the researchers said. By measuring the size of the bones they determined how large its flight muscles would have been, and calculated that it would not have been capable of takeoff or of sustained flight just by flapping its wings. "Gliding would not be a problem, it would be the takeoff, that is the main limiting factor," Chatterjee said in a telephone interview. "In the mountains, takeoff was not a problem, but sooner or later it would come to the plain." As far as getting airborne there, Chatterjee suggested the birds could launch from a high point in the foothills. In addition, with a slight headwind and as little as a 10-degree downhill slope they would probably have been able to take off in a running start, the researchers said. But it looks like this was just about the size limit for a flying bird, he said. A steady east wind blowing from the Atlantic Ocean and rising in the foothills of the mountains would have created ideal conditions for soaring flight, in which they estimated the giant hunter could reach 40 mph. "Large broad-winged landbirds, such as eagles, buzzards, storks and vultures with slotted wings are masters of thermals and travel cross-country by gliding in circles," they researchers said. Thermals are areas of rising warm air and can often be easily determined from a distance because cumulus clouds develop above them when the moisture in that air cools and condenses. In every culture there are tales of large birds, whether local Indians, Hindus or others, Chatterjee observed. "Now we can show that they actually existed," he said, though this bird lived millions of years before humans walked the planet. And with a skull nearly two feet long, Argentavis "was catching sizable prey with its formidable beak." The research was funded by the National Geographic Society and Texas Tech University. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
I'd like to see a dire eagle take off.
Top