Soaring birds (Buteo and Aquila species)
Boeing 787 Winglet Design: Eagle Wing Tips
Large soaring birds like eagles and vultures spread their primary feathers into finger-like tips to reduce induced drag during soaring. Aircraft designers have mimicked this with winglets that reduce drag by 5–7%, saving airlines billions of litres of fuel per year.
- ✿Inspired by: Soaring birds (Buteo and Aquila species)
- ⚡︎Function: Reduce induced drag from wing tip vortices during flight
- ▣Company: Boeing / NASA (Richard Whitcomb)
- ◉Where: USA






