The wing beat of Drosophila Melanogaster . I. Kinematics

The wing beat of small insects attracts special interest because conventional aerodynamics predict a reduction of flight efficiency when aerofoils are small and slow. The kinematics of the wing beat of tethered flying Drosophila melanogaster were investigated by using artificial slow motion pictures which were generated by single strobe flashes triggered in synchrony with the wing beat. The properties of Drosophila wing motion are described qualitatively and compared with the published data for other dipteran insects. Drosophila moves its wings in a pattern that differs considerably from the well-documented wing beat of the bigger blowfly Phormia. By means of a computerized three-dimensional reconstruction, the variables of the wing-beat cycle, such as wing path and angles of attack, are analysed quantitatively. These data will be the basis of aerodynamic calculations presented in accompanying papers.