A quick update to my recent post about G forces.
Researchers at the University of Michigan (among other places) just released some information regarding the natural adaptation many birds and flying insects have in terms of what humans consider relatively extreme conditions.
Choice nugget:
A Blackbird jet flying nearly 2,000 miles per hour covers 32 body lengths per second. But a common pigeon flying at 50 miles per hour covers 75.The roll rate of the aerobatic A-4 Skyhawk plane is about 720 degrees per second. The roll rate of a barn swallow exceeds 5,000 degrees per second.
Select military aircraft can withstand gravitational forces of 8-10 G. Many birds routinely experience positive G-forces greater than 10 G and up to 14 G.