The Economist: Airlines could take a more naturalistic approach to cutting jet-fuel use, and it would not require them to buy new aircraft.
The answer, says Ilan Kroo and colleagues at Stanford University, lies with birds. Since 1914, scientists have known that birds flying in formation—a V-shape, echelon, or otherwise—expend less energy.
Photo credit: John Avise, University of California, Irvine
The air flowing over a bird’s wings curls upwards behind the wingtips, a phenomenon known as upwash. Other birds flying in the upwash experience reduced drag, and spend less energy propelling themselves.
When applied to aircraft, the principles are not substantially different.
Kroo and his team modeled what would happen if three passenger jets departing from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas, and all traveling to London, were to rendezvous over Utah and assume an inverted V-formation.
They found that the aircraft consumed as much as 15% less fuel. Nitrogen-oxide emissions during the cruising portions of the flight fell by around a quarter.
The V-shape concept it very interesting, Yes if we can take the time to analyze nature. They will teach us many things that will be very constructive to our societies.