But it does seem plausible, and more importantly, survivable. This is all based on modelling and estimates, of course, since no-one has ever actually recorded a falcon diving in excess of 300mph. A mathematically-ideal falcon could achieve even higher speeds. Top speeds then would be 138-174 m s-1.Īssuming the 157ms-1 figure is accurate, that comes out to ~351mph. This value was measured for low-speed flight, and it could plausibly decline to 0.07 at high speeds. Given enough time, ideal falcons can reach top speeds of 89-112 m s-1 in a vertical dive, the higher speed for the heaviest bird, when the parasite drag coefficient has a value of 0.18. The top speeds reached during a dive depend on the mass of the bird and the angle and duration of the dive. Ideal falcons have body masses of 0.5-2.0 kg and morphological and aerodynamic properties based on those measured for real falcons. This study investigates the aerodynamic and gravitational forces on ‘ideal falcons’ and uses a mathematical model to calculate speed and acceleration during diving. Estimates of their top speed in a dive range up to 157 m s-1, although speeds this high have never been accurately measured. Some falcons, such as peregrines (Falco peregrinus), attack their prey in the air at the end of high-speed dives and are thought to be the fastest of animals. So, does anybody have the straight dope on what the maximum speed a Peregrine Falcon could realistically attain without appreciable injury?įrom Gliding flight: speed and acceleration of ideal falcons during diving and pull out: How, exactly would a falcon “attain speeds far in excess of its terminal velocity”? By the end of the fall, they can hit pretty hard. Low air resistance leads to higher terminal velocity, so they do get moving pretty fast. They are sufficiently streamlined that they encounter very little air resistance. They just fold their wings against their bodies and fall. (Except their wings, which would slow them down, not speed them up.) They are not equipped with rockets. Peregrines reach these speeds through a power dive their powerful musculature coupled with a high degree streamlining enable them to overcome air resistance.įalcons can’t “power dive”, there is nothing for their “powerful musculature” to push against in midair. A peregrine’s own terminal velocity is much much smaller than that, since its weight is much smaller in relation to its surface area. Terminal velocity for a falling human is about 200 km/h, or 124 mph.
The falcon is attaining speeds far in excess of its terminal velocity, which is achieved when a falling body reaches equilibrium with air resistance and ceases to accelerate further.
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