Professor Haecheon Choi’s research team’s paper titled “The function of the alula in avian flight” was introduced on science daily after being selected as remarkable research. This paper was published on Scientific Reports (vol. 5,9914) on May 2015 through the research on the effects of the alula of flight ability by the research team.<?xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

In the paper, the team used wind tunnel tests of measure the life and drag on an actual magpie’s wing and visually analyzed the flow structure depending on the presence and absence of the alula. Results showed that the small vortex formed at the end of the alula improved life and lengthened the stall, thus improving the flight ability of birds. This was the first time that a relation between the formation of a vortex and the hydrodynamic role of the alula was proven.

Articles:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150605103008.htm
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-06/lobe-asv060415.php

Journal: http://www.nature.com/srep/2015/150507/srep09914/full/srep09914.html