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Some crickets have big cojones!
Don’t believe us? Check out the tuberous bushcricket’s world record set. But just how big are they? Tom Cruise had no problem clinging to the exterior door of an airplane during takeoff in Mission: Impossible 5 - Rogue Nation. So we decided to see how our little cricket friend with massive testicular fortitude measures up to this Impossible task.
To determine if T. Cricket can hang on in these extreme circumstances we need to know about the forces he’s experiencing. We can find these answers by using physics. Otherwise known in Greek as “knowledge of nature,” physics is the natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through space and time, along with related concepts such as energy and force. Using a physics equation, we can determine the aerodynamic drag force on T. Cricket, and the likelihood he will be able to hang on during departure.
The Airbus 400M has a takeoff speed of nearly 300 mph. The drag force of Cricket on the exterior of the plane can be calculated by the formula Fd = cd ½ pv2 A.
- Fd= Drag Force (in Newtons [A Newton is the international unit of measure for force])
- cd= drag coefficient (.04 is used for a streamlined body, a similar shape to a cricket)
- p= density of fluid (1.2 kg/m2 for air at NTP [normal temperature pressure])
- v=flow velocity (300 mph = 134 m/s) 2
- A= characteristic frontal area of the body (using a cricket 1/8” wide by 5/8” long [5.0403125e-5 m2])
Fd=(.04)(1/2)(1.2kg/m2)(134m/s)2(5.0403125e-5m2) = .022 Newtons
The drag force on T. Cricket is only two-hundredths of a Newton. But is it enough to blow his tiny body from the side of the aircraft? The anatomical structure of a cricket is much different than a human. Crickets have 6 legs, pointing both forward and backward, which increases their stability against outside forces. With muscles directly attached to their exoskeleton the muscles are much more efficient, increasing their strength and ability to hang on through tough winds. Crickets can also lift 4-6 times their body weight, and for the average house cricket, that can be as much as 2400 mg. The force required to move 2400 mg is approximately .024 Newtons.
With the potential to exert .024 Newtons of force against an object, and a drag force against him of .022 Newtons, T. Cricket should be able to overcome the aerodynamic forces on the aircraft hull and achieve new heights. And with no safety harness, T. Cricket definitely has the biggest cojones.
Cheap Feeder Crickets sells high-protein, parasite free, healthy crickets for your bearded dragons, geckos, turtles, tarantulas, and other pets (or humans) that love the taste of crickets. Check out our nutritional facts, and read more about the impressive strengths of these amazing insects.