The Flight Dynamics & Control Group is led by Dr Graham Taylor. Our research sits at the interface of Biomechanics and Neurophysiology, with feeds to and from Engineering. Our general approach is to use the tools of flight dynamics to analyse biological problems related to the stability and control of animal flight. We are interested specifically in understanding how evolution tunes the physics and physiology of complex dynamical systems to achieve the extraordinary unsteady flight performance of birds and insects. The empirical thrust of our research follows three main tracks: 1) Measuring the forces generated by insects flying tethered in a virtual reality flight simulator (left); 2) Measuring the deforming wing and body kinematics of insects flying freely in a virtual reality flight arena; 3) Measuring the kinematics of free-flying birds of prey using using onboard video cameras and inertial measurement units. These empirical data are then used to generate dynamical models of the flight control system that can in turn be used to answer evolutionary and physiological questions about flight performance and behaviour. The team's research is now funded principally by a 5-year, €2M ERC Starting Grant on the Dynamics and Control of Bird and Insect Flight.