Biomechanics Fact of the Day: Peregrine Falcons can accelerate up to 240mph (107 m/s) in their high-velocity dives to catch prey, a speed which is around 10.5 times faster than Usain Bolt’s top speed. Even at the lower estimates of velocity, as the peregrine comes out of a dive and straightens out into horizontal flight, it pulls around 25 g’s (25 times the normal earth gravity). To put that in relative terms, it is more than twice the maximum G-force experienced by fighter jet pilots. In other words, Mother Nature 1 - Humans 0.
Sunday May 2, 2010
