Can we glide like the dragon?

 

Can flying lizards inspire a better wingsuit design?

Human wingsuits - some think it's a crazy sport, some do it for the insane adrenaline rush, but can it be the first stealth human plane?

Picture this - you want to enter enemy territory without being detected, taking the land route is too risky for obvious reasons. Hmm, maybe air? You could jump from a plane and parachute your way down. But then, the plane could get detected on the radar or you might get spotted in the sky on your way down! Now, what if you could rapidly glide in like a lizard, without the need of being dropped off in close proximity, or using a parachute to land?...You could take the enemy by surprise! Well, all this may sound like wishful thinking, but is there more to it than meets the eye?

Present day wingsuits are largely analogous (minus the tail ;-) ) to a flying squirrel. The suit is made up of a large membrane which connects the hands and legs, much like that of a flying squirrel, which glides using a wing membrane connecting its fore limbs and hind limbs.

Coming back to our enemy situation. Say, you have successfully landed wearing the squirrel wingsuit. Now, apart from having to tackle the enemy, you also have extra wingsuit material to deal with...ummm not good!

The flying lizard might provide a unique solution to this precarious situation. Like a lizard, the wings could be an extension of the body, supported by an external retractable frame, leaving the hands and legs free for independent motion.

Could this change the way humans glide? Let's find out!

Photo credit: Ashok N Pulliyerengi

Video adapted from: How To Train Your Dragon 2, World's Weirdest - National Geographic, Split of a second - a movie about wingsuit flying