Scientists at Oxford have discovered how the bumblebee flies contrary to the conventional laws of aerodynamics.
The study reveals that bumblebees rely on brute force to get off the ground. Fuelled by the high-energy nectar they consume, they flap their wings over 200 times a second.
This is a far more inefficient method of flight than that of most insects.
The team trained the insects and used smoke, a wind tunnel and high-speed cameras to observe in detail how real bumblebee wings work in free flight.
