@massimo_bostonWings that spin in a figure-eight pattern, lift on both halves of every beat, and a body that can reverse mid-air on command. That's the Hummingbird blueprint, and it's the only bird species on record pulling off sustained backward flight. The shoulder joints are the secret. They let each wing rotate through that looping motion instead of just flapping up and down, so lift never quits during the wingbeat cycle. Which is also how these things hold themselves steady at a flower while they feed, barely drifting an inch. Kino engineering, honestly. #NatureScenery

@massimo_bostonWings that spin in a figure-eight pattern, lift on both halves of every beat, and a body that can reverse mid-air on command. That's the Hummingbird blueprint, and it's the only bird species on record pulling off sustained backward flight. The shoulder joints are the secret. They let each wing rotate through that looping motion instead of just flapping up and down, so lift never quits during the wingbeat cycle. Which is also how these things hold themselves steady at a flower while they feed, barely drifting an inch. Kino engineering, honestly. #NatureScenery