Robotic Pigeon Reveals How Birds Fly Without a Vertical Tail Fin in NewScientist

Birds have no vertical fin and also don’t seem to deliberately create asymmetric drag. ESRIG's David Lentink and colleagues designed PigeonBot II to investigate how birds stay in control without such a stabiliser. The latest design, which includes 52 real pigeon feathers, has been updated to include a bird-like tail – and test flights have been successful.