Құстардың V тәрізді ұшу формациясы

Formation with units arranged in a chevron or "V" shape
the flight formation of birds

A V formation is a symmetric V or chevron shaped flight formation. In nature, it occurs among geese, swans, ducks, and other migratory birds, improving their energy efficiency, while in human aviation, it is used mostly in military aviation, air shows, and occasionally commercial aviation. Flying in the V formation likely improves energy efficiency. Usually, large birds fly in this formation since smaller birds create more complex wind currents that are hard for the back members to take advantage of. V formations also improve the fuel efficiency of aircraft.

The V formation possibly improves the efficiency of flying birds, particularly over long migratory routes. This allows the birds after to take the upwash lift force due to the wingtip vortices at the tip of the wings of the lead bird. In a 2001 Nature study, researchers used trackers on pelicans and yielded the results that pelicans flying alone have higher heart rate and flap their wings more frequently compare to those flying in V formation.

In a V formation, some birds prefer to fly at the left, some at the right, and some at the center. The birds flying at the tips and at the front are rotated in a timely cyclical fashion to spread flight fatigue equally among the flock members. Canada geese, ducks and swans commonly form a skein in V formation. Thus, the flight formation variates around a V like shape and does not stay constant. Flying in V formation is not only about position but also about the timing of flapping. The birds behind will sync with the flapping pattern of the leading bird to follow the trail of upwash left by the bird at front. The goal of this program was to save a sustained 10 percent of fuel, and experimental data suggested that as high as 15 percent could be achieved. Such fuel reduction can also reduce the amount of pollution released into the environment.

Wieselsberger (1914): An aerodynamicist who was the first to suggest that a formation may give birds an aerodynamic advantage. From the principles of aerodynamics, he knew that birds generate Bernoulli lift because of the upwash and downwash at the edges of their wings. He proposed that birds flying in a V formation make use of the upwash of neighboring birds to reduce induced drag, and hence conserve energy in flight. Hamilton (1967): Posited that the staggered formation provides an advantage for visual communication with neighboring birds. At the same time, it also provides a clear viewing field during flight.