Is A hummingbird Faster Than A plane?

A hummingbird’s wings can beat up to 80 times per second, allowing it to hover in place and fly in any direction with amazing agility. In contrast, planes rely on forward momentum and fixed wings to generate lift. So which is actually faster – a tiny hummingbird or a soaring jet plane?

Measuring a Hummingbird’s Speed

Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards, upside down, and hover in midair. Their specialized shoulder joints allow their wings to rotate in a full circle.

During forward flight, hummingbird wings beat in a figure-8 pattern with the downstroke generating the majority of lift. On average, wings beat around 53 times per second. But hummingbirds can alter their wingbeat frequency depending on what they are trying to achieve.

During courtship displays, male hummingbirds amp up their wing beats to as fast as 200 flaps per second. This allows them to perform aerobatic feats to impress potential mates.

The highest documented wingbeat frequency was recorded in 2013 by researchers studying Anna’s hummingbirds. Using high speed cameras, they clocked male hummingbirds beating their wings 202 times per second during steep dive displays.

No other vertebrate on Earth has such muscle contractions and nerve transmission rates to control their wings this rapidly. Research indicates hummingbirds reach their physiological limit at around 220 flaps per second.

So while a hummingbird can’t maintain top speed for more than a few seconds, it’s clear they can briefly achieve higher wingbeat frequencies than helicopters.

But wing speed alone doesn’t determine velocity. A plane’s wings may beat slower, but they use airfoil cross sections and forward motion to generate more force with each flap.

Measuring a Plane’s Speed

To measure a plane’s speed, you need to consider its airspeed – its velocity relative to the air it’s flying through. The key factors are:

• Thrust from the engine(s)
• Air resistance or drag
• Lift generated by the wings
• Weight of the aircraft

Pilots use three basic airspeed measurements:

1. Indicated airspeed (IAS) – The speed shown on the instrument panel airspeed indicator. This is the plane’s speed relative to the airmass it’s flying through.
2. Calibrated airspeed (CAS) – The IAS corrected for instrument and position errors.
3. True airspeed (TAS) – The CAS corrected for air density. TAS increases at higher altitudes where the air is thinner.

Of these measurements, true airspeed reflects the plane’s actual velocity. Modern jet airliners typically have average cruising true airspeeds of 476-590 mph. But maximum speeds vary by aircraft:

While commercial jets reach speeds over 500 mph, specialized military and experimental planes can fly much faster:

• Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird – 2,193 mph
• North American X-15 – 4,520 mph
• Boeing X-51 – Mach 5 (3,853 mph)

But no airplanes come close to the velocities space shuttles and satellites reach on orbital paths – about 17,500 mph!

Comparing Hummingbird and Plane Speeds

Hummingbirds and planes have vastly different aerodynamics and flight capabilities. Making direct comparisons between them is challenging.

Some key differences:

• Hummingbirds rely on flapping flight. Planes rely on fixed wings for lift.
• Hummingbirds can hover and fly in any direction. Planes need forward motion to create lift.
• Hummingbirds are tiny. Even a large plane weighs thousands of times more.

The fastest speed a hummingbird has been recorded flying is around 34 mph during courtship dives. But average horizontal flight speed is roughly 15 mph.

In contrast, small single engine planes have cruising speeds of 90-300 mph. Larger passenger jets fly over 500 mph.

So an airplane’s velocity far exceeds a hummingbird’s when comparing sustained horizontal flight.

But hummingbirds have greater flight agility and the ability to rapidly change direction. Here are some key acceleration and velocity figures:

So while planes have higher maximum airspeeds, hummingbirds can accelerate much quicker vertically. During courtship displays, male Allen’s hummingbirds can dive at speeds of 34 mph with rapid bursts up to 39 ft/s2.

The hummingbird’s ability to hover, rotate their wings in a circle, and change direction gives them better controllability than any airplane.

Advantages for Birds and Planes

Both hummingbirds and planes take advantage of airlift principles as they fly. But they do so in very different ways:

Hummingbird Advantages

• Very lightweight – some species weigh less than a nickel
• Specialized shoulder joints allow rotating wings
• Double ball-and-socket wrist joints provide wing control
• Rapid muscle contractions and nerve signals to wings
• Sustained metabolic rates approaching 1,200% of resting levels

These adaptations allow hummingbirds unrivaled agility and maneuverability in flight.

Airplane Advantages

• Fixed high aspect ratio wings optimize lift
• Smooth airfoil cross sections enhance lift and reduce drag
• Powerful propulsion from jet turbines or propellers
• Precise instruments and controls for stability
• Large surface area generates substantial lift

These traits enable planes to fly at high sustained speeds but with less maneuverability.

So while hummingbirds have greater agility and acceleration, planes can ultimately reach higher airspeeds for level flight.

Conclusion

There’s no simple answer to whether hummingbirds or planes are “faster” – it depends on the type of speed and flight being compared.

Hummingbirds can briefly achieve faster wingbeat frequencies and vertical speeds during courtship dives. But airplanes have greater maximum horizontal velocity when relying on fixed wings for lift.

So hummingbirds have faster angular acceleration and rotational agility. But planes have higher straight-line speed.

In different ways, both hummingbirds and planes take advantage of aerodynamic principles to achieve the incredible wonder of flight.