12 mind-blowing animal-inspired aircraft innovations

From shark skin fuselage coatings to bat-inspired wings, Tom Batchelor examines some of the latest incredible concepts which could transform how we take to the skies

The slogan, “It’s a bird. It’s a plane!” might be taken from the pages of a 1950s Superman comic, but with advances in aerospace design and manufacturing technology, the distinction between nature and man-made machines is becoming increasingly blurred.

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