Wake aerodynamics of flapping systems in formation flight

Abstract

Birds form groups to survive in long-distance flight. Since birds trace the wakes of their leaders in formation, we hypothesize that mechanistic signal transmission through wakes is universal. We use aerodynamics to identify these signals and elucidate their transport in a modeled dipolar double gyre wake. The model illustrates that the gradients of signals favor a V-shaped formation. The present work has implications in bio-inspired design and the solution of dilemma in cooperative formation flight.