  
Flight Engines: Dragonflies
 The
dragonfly has a flawless flying capacity, so much so that
it can stop suddenly and begin to fly in the opposite direction
at whatever speed or in whatever direction it chooses. Moreover,
it can hang in the air in a suitable position to attack its
prey. In addition, it can head towards its prey, making agile
turns to do so. These are only some of the maneuvering skills
of the dragonfly that have provided inspiration for helicopters,
the products of today's advanced technology.
The body of the dragonfly has a helical structure wrapped
with a metal covering. The dragonfly, which can have various
colors, from ice blue to maroon, has two pairs of wings on
its back, one pair in front and the other pair to the rear.
The wings work in a coordinated way. In other words, as the
two front wings rise, the two wings at the rear descend. The
movement of the wings is accomplished by the movements of
two opposite groups of muscles. One end of the muscles is
attached to extensions in the body in the shape of a lever.
While one group of muscles contracts and causes a pair of
wings to rise, the other group of muscles loosens to the same
degree and causes the second pair of wings to fall. In fact,
helicopters that are produced using dragonflies as their model
descend and ascend using the same principle.
The perfect flight of dragonflies is realized by these four
large independent wings carrying its body's weight. This feature
enables the insect to make sudden maneuvers, increase its
speed and fly at a speed that reaches 10 meters (33 feet)
per second.
The sight capacity of the dragonfly, which can make sudden
maneuvers at very high speeds, is also perfect. The eye of
the dragonfly is considered, in scientific circles, as the
finest insect eye in the world. Each of its eyes contains
30,000 individual lenses. The eyes look like two hemispheres
covering half of its head, and they provide a very broad field
of vision for the insect. With these extraordinary eyes, the
dragonfly can almost see what's happening behind its back.
The dragonfly has a perfectly structured individual system.
The slightest deficiency in any one part of these systems
will cause the other systems to become useless. However, all
the systems have been created perfectly and the creature survives
by means of this. The unique design in the dragonfly belongs
to Allah. He has the knowledge of all creation.
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