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Re: FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE . . . PTEROSAURS HAVE LIFT OFF!




----- Original Message ----- From: "David Peters" <davidpeters@att.net>
To: "jrc" <jrccea@bellsouth.net>
Cc: <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 10:18 AM
Subject: Re: FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE . . . PTEROSAURS HAVE LIFT OFF!



The point is, the wingfinger has to go from the vertical plane at launch and just afterwards (during the squash and stretch phases), to a series of oscillating planes averaging horizontal (aka flapping).

Yes. Doesn't present any problems during the launch phase. The unfolding actually helps. One of those things where everything is working synergistically (is that a word?).

I hope your pterosaur doesn't attempt a leap with widespread (in anterior view) metacarpi!

Not until above brush height. The whole process including unfolding happens with appropriate phasing. Low vegetation up to about wrist height is not an issue. Trees would not be early in the launch cycle, but would become an issue during the latter half of the first upstroke (same problem as attempting cruise flight within a forest :-).


In profile view, the process doesn't bear much resemblance to the locus of the top end of a vaulting pole during a pole vault.
JimC