To investigate how shortfin mako sharks achieve their impressive speeds, researchers tested real sharkskin samples, using digital particle image velocimetry. They discovered that a 'passive bristling' capability of the microscopic surface geometry of the shark's scales controlled flow separation, which causes pressure drag — the most influential cause of drag on aircraft. The work could lead to new designs to reduce drag on aircraft.
The speedy secrets of mako sharks — ‘cheetahs of the ocean’
To investigate how shortfin mako sharks achieve their impressive speeds, researchers tested real sharkskin samples, using digital particle image velocimetry. They discovered that a 'passive brist..
