Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Designers of aircraft face several limitations before their envisioned craft becomes a reality. They must deal with physical limitations. The plane may look invincible on the drawing board but that’s immaterial if it can’t fly. The creator’s plans must take into account what type of flying, and in turn what demands will be placed upon its structure. All of this may be limited by the availability of materials and the constraints of economics, not only to build but to operate this vehicle.
Without knowing anything about the nature of this flying apparatus, what do you think the Designer of the Common Snipe created it for? Is it prepared for fast takeoffs from its sometimes soggy launchpad? Is it designed for speed or does it specialize in extended gliding maneuvers? Why did the One who conceived it equip it to fly in seemingly erratic lines that zig-zag across the marsh? We can guess at the answers and frequently come close to the truth, but there are times when we are left with our questions unanswered.
And maybe that isn’t so bad. Maybe we actually need a sense of the unknown. One who might have arrived at more of the answers than most of us had this to say: “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.” (Albert Einstein)