Wind Tunnel Reveals Dinosaur's Flight Secrets  Researchers at
the University of Southampton have tested a model of a
Microraptor (a feathered, four-winged dinosaur) in a wind tunnel
and found that it was optimized for slow gliding. Its multiple
wings performed the same function as a modern-day, high-lift
configuration used on airliners for takeoff and landing.
Caedium CFD Simulation Around The Great
SphinxMicroraptorSketchUp Model  Though not efficient in terms
of drag, high-lift systems are designed to produce lift at slow
speeds, which would match the need for gliding by this proto-
bird dinosaur.  Surprisingly, the researchers also found that
the leg position and wing shape made little difference to the
flight characteristics of the Microraptor. This implies that the
configuration was not highly optimized, which supports the
theory that feathers initially evolved independently of
aerodynamic requirements.  To compliment these wind tunnel tests
it would be interesting to see a Computational Fluid Dynamics (