Fly Away Dragonair...or not

Started by Inkfingers April 28th, 2009 3:48 PM
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Age 30
Male
New York City
Seen May 21st, 2016
Posted May 16th, 2016
3,597 posts
15.9 Years
Okay, you need to stop comparing things to a bee's wings. That has no relevancy. Penguin wings are smaller than their bodies and yet they cannot fly.

A bee's structure is small, light, and compact. The wings themselves flap at almost 200 beats per second. Not to mention, they aren't that much smaller than the bee. Some bee wings are over half the bee's length.

Dragonair is simply unable to carry itself because those wings are minuscule and its body is long and slender. If it were to fly, it would need to flap over a billion times faster than the bee, which would require many gigantic muscles in Dragonair's head. Factoring those muscles into the equation, the wings would need to flap millions of times faster than that. Even so, it wouldn't be able to keep its entire body afloat. The rest of it would just hang down.

And what is that? Four feathers per wing? That isn't enough to keep anything flying.

Dragonite shouldn't be able to fly either. The wings simply do not have enough surface area.
lurid/lucid

"I want to tear myself from this place, from this reality, rise up like a cloud and float away, melt into this humid summer night and dissolve somewhere far, over the hills. But I am here, my legs blocks of concrete, my lungs empty of air, my throat burning. There will be no floating away."

Khaled Hosseini

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AJ™

ANGRY FAIC!!!

Age 29
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Seen February 8th, 2019
Posted February 24th, 2014
1,494 posts
15.3 Years
I was just about to mention the "mystic force" aspect.

Many, MANY Pokemon have the supernatural ability to float midair without any explanation. It's just how the Pokemon world is. It's not supposed to make sense.

Mew floats with no wings, Mewtwo can too.
The Magnemite family also does it. Throw a magnet up in real life. Will it fly? No, so Magnemites wouldn't be able to either.

But that's beyond the question asked by the first poster.

I believe Dragonair is seen flying in the Anime for cinematic reasons. To make it seem more majestic and regal, while the game doesn't need that necessary aspect.

Age 30
Male
New York City
Seen May 21st, 2016
Posted May 16th, 2016
3,597 posts
15.9 Years
Also, for anyone any good at aerodynamics, I prepared some numbers for you.
The length of Dragonair's body is a bit shorter than it should be, but that shouldn't matter.

lurid/lucid

"I want to tear myself from this place, from this reality, rise up like a cloud and float away, melt into this humid summer night and dissolve somewhere far, over the hills. But I am here, my legs blocks of concrete, my lungs empty of air, my throat burning. There will be no floating away."

Khaled Hosseini

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whoever disabled my signature:
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i dont understand why it was disabled.
Female
Earth
Seen May 28th, 2016
Posted April 11th, 2016
892 posts
14.6 Years
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6nlCGd5VaA&feature=related

watch at 6:52
"Now that I have said it, it must be canon." -Little Kuriboh
"Though love may lose, kindness wins." - Science Fiction Novelist
"Destory all expectations." - Mortal Kombat DVD box
"I reject your reality and substitute my own." - The Dungeon Master/Ragewar
Age 30
Male
New York City
Seen May 21st, 2016
Posted May 16th, 2016
3,597 posts
15.9 Years
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6nlCGd5VaA&feature=related

watch at 6:52
Those wings have too large spaces between them and their surface area is not large enough.
They aren't nearly large enough to take Dragonair into the sky.
lurid/lucid

"I want to tear myself from this place, from this reality, rise up like a cloud and float away, melt into this humid summer night and dissolve somewhere far, over the hills. But I am here, my legs blocks of concrete, my lungs empty of air, my throat burning. There will be no floating away."

Khaled Hosseini

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whoever disabled my signature:
my signature is not even close to 300px tall.
i dont understand why it was disabled.
Female
Earth
Seen May 28th, 2016
Posted April 11th, 2016
892 posts
14.6 Years
Whatever, I just wanted to show that Dragonair flaps it's wings when it flys.

But if you want to bring logic into a video game made for children you can do that all you want.

Peace out.
"Now that I have said it, it must be canon." -Little Kuriboh
"Though love may lose, kindness wins." - Science Fiction Novelist
"Destory all expectations." - Mortal Kombat DVD box
"I reject your reality and substitute my own." - The Dungeon Master/Ragewar
Male
Hoenn
Seen March 12th, 2021
Posted April 22nd, 2017
1,494 posts
15.2 Years
Im a HUGGGE Dragonair fan, its ability to fly is a side effect of another one of its ability: the ability to change the weather. It uses modified Wind Currents to slip it into a jet stream that allows it to fly (this is explained in Pokemon Special) and in the games it is mentioned in the PokeDex it can fly, so the ability is canon in the games as well, just not used.

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Age 30
Male
New York City
Seen May 21st, 2016
Posted May 16th, 2016
3,597 posts
15.9 Years
Im a HUGGGE Dragonair fan, its ability to fly is a side effect of another one of its ability: the ability to change the weather. It uses modified Wind Currents to slip it into a jet stream that allows it to fly (this is explained in Pokemon Special) and in the games it is mentioned in the PokeDex it can fly, so the ability is canon in the games as well, just not used.
Oh yeah. That makes sense.
Much more sense than using those silly "wings."

Hadn't come to mind. +rep.
lurid/lucid

"I want to tear myself from this place, from this reality, rise up like a cloud and float away, melt into this humid summer night and dissolve somewhere far, over the hills. But I am here, my legs blocks of concrete, my lungs empty of air, my throat burning. There will be no floating away."

Khaled Hosseini

→ Refresh for a different picture
→ White FC: Haruka 0347 0171 1756


whoever disabled my signature:
my signature is not even close to 300px tall.
i dont understand why it was disabled.
Age 29
Male
Seen June 1st, 2013
Posted April 27th, 2013
2,276 posts
14.4 Years
Hahaha! I just got completely owned, unintentionally, it seems!

Well then, screw the wizard, that'll work! Way to use brain power, boulevard! This made me laugh so hard I'm +repping you.
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Corvus of the Black Night

Wild Duck Pokémon

Age 30
Non-binary
With the Birds
Seen January 9th, 2015
Posted January 9th, 2015
3,416 posts
14.3 Years
Simply because the anime likes to get their facts wrong.

On the topic of how it flies: typically, serpentine dragons do not use any wings at all; instead, they slither through the air like sand.
Female
Earth
Seen May 28th, 2016
Posted April 11th, 2016
892 posts
14.6 Years
I just remembered something. There was a legend I read about a dragon called a 'koul' that reminded me of the the Dragonair family.
It went like this:

"A koul is a snakelike, gigantic proto-dragon that must pass three tests of courage — the coming to aid of others, the act of swimming, and a literal 'leap' of faith — in order to become a dragon. Upon coming to the aid of others, the koul grows legs; after having swum in water, the koul is able to breathe fire; upon making the leap, the koul immediately sprouts wings."

Although the breathing fire thing doesn't really fit.

I also heard one about a proto-dragon called a Imoogi that has to live for a thousand years and catch a pearl in it's mouth to become a dragon. If it doesn't catch the pearl it must wait under 1000 years.

Sorry, I'm gettting side tracked.
"Now that I have said it, it must be canon." -Little Kuriboh
"Though love may lose, kindness wins." - Science Fiction Novelist
"Destory all expectations." - Mortal Kombat DVD box
"I reject your reality and substitute my own." - The Dungeon Master/Ragewar
Male
Hoenn
Seen March 12th, 2021
Posted April 22nd, 2017
1,494 posts
15.2 Years
Thanks for the + Rep guys
Dragonair can't fly because of it's weight. You can see that his fat.
Doesnt matter. Wind currents are strong enough to rip off rock, houses, etc. Plus, some trainers like Lance and Clair have been seen RIDING Dragonair, they can do such because the currents have to be strong enough to defy gravity, at which point its more a matter of mass than weight.

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The Scientist

PKMN Scientist/Mathemagician

Male
In a Laboratory
Seen July 27th, 2012
Posted December 19th, 2009
721 posts
19.3 Years
Also, for anyone any good at aerodynamics, I prepared some numbers for you.
The length of Dragonair's body is a bit shorter than it should be, but that shouldn't matter.

Whoa.

I think I've created a new aspect of Pokemon: Sprite Mathematics. The only concern I have is that 61px shouldn't equal 4m, as that 4m refers to the Dragonair's entire length, and the height of the sprite only utilizes around half of Dragonair's full length.
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Age 35
Station Square
Seen April 9th, 2010
Posted May 20th, 2009
348 posts
14.6 Years
How does Rayquaza fly? Same thing.
I thought it was because legendaries were required to fly to prove their bad assness in a sense.

which is kinda averted due to the beasts, regis, weather duo, and Heatran >_>
I reps the kid

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Male
Hoenn
Seen March 12th, 2021
Posted April 22nd, 2017
1,494 posts
15.2 Years
Since it seems there are still people who are puzzled, im uploaded an attachment that shows how the system for non-winged pokemon to fly.

Note: the actual drawing of dragonair belongs to DarkAngel226 at DeviantArt, I made the convection diagram, I dont claim the Dragonair as my own work.

Paired with ValentineUmbreon; Fluffy Little Sister-in-law: Chamo-chan;
Smart Little Sister-in-law: SilverDragonLaura; Twisted Little Sister: Baa.Baa.Blacksheep
Age 29
Seen June 9th, 2014
Posted May 11th, 2014
209 posts
14.1 Years
Alright thanks so much guys. Gymno, I only used the bee thing twice,and apparently, according to science, bees should not have the ability to fly. It's been proven many times. I've seen it in tons of movies and TV shows. But don't argue w/ it, I'm just stating that.
sirboulevard. That answer you gave has got to be the greatest scientific pokemon answer I have ever heard. Have you heard about my real pokemon guru thread? If not check it out please. I would really like to have you join the team.
Female
Earth
Seen May 28th, 2016
Posted April 11th, 2016
892 posts
14.6 Years
Alright thanks so much guys. Gymno, I only used the bee thing twice,and apparently, according to science, bees should not have the ability to fly. It's been proven many times. I've seen it in tons of movies and TV shows. But don't argue w/ it, I'm just stating that.

Wikipedia:
"In 2005 Michael Dickinson and his Caltech colleagues studied honey bee flight with the assistance of high-speed cinematography and a giant robotic mock-up of a bee wing. Their analysis revealed sufficient lift was generated by "the unconventional combination of short, choppy wing strokes, a rapid rotation of the wing as it flops over and reverses direction, and a very fast wing-beat frequency". Wing beat frequency normally increases as size decreases, but as the bee's wing beat covers such a small arc, it flaps approximately 230 times per second, faster than a fruitfly (200 times per second) which is 80 times smaller."

Any ways, Dragonair's wings remind me of the wings that are on Hermes helmet, staff and sandles.
"Now that I have said it, it must be canon." -Little Kuriboh
"Though love may lose, kindness wins." - Science Fiction Novelist
"Destory all expectations." - Mortal Kombat DVD box
"I reject your reality and substitute my own." - The Dungeon Master/Ragewar
Seen December 10th, 2013
Posted October 17th, 2009
5,583 posts
14.6 Years
It is funny how you compare Dragonair with a Bee and its wings, but no the game designers basically have a point in what they do. In the anime, they most likely portray Dragonair to fly because for one it is a Dragon Type and they probably wanted to follow the mythical belief of dragons having the ability to fly.

As for the games, one thing you have to remember is that everything you see in the anime doesn't always happen in the game. In other words, the game designers might have preferred Dragonair wait until its final stage to learn the HM Fly, other than that I see no other reason to it. xD