• A Flashing Burst of Color
    Awake!—1987 | October 8

    • Hummingbird Versus Helicopter

      As I observed its maneuvers, I could not help but think that the nearest man has got to the design of a hummingbird is a helicopter. And yet, what a clumsy contraption it seems in comparison!

  • A Flashing Burst of Color
    Awake!—1987 | October 8

    • Returning to the helicopter comparison​—I checked with Sikorsky Aircraft to find out how many revolutions per minute the rotor blades make as a helicopter flies. The answer was between 200 and 300 revolutions per minute. And the hummingbird? While hovering, some of them achieve a wingbeat of 78 times per second, or 4,680 beats per minute!