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Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

Skymounts (a direct translation from the Classical Lodian yichanre’al, alternatively the Sky Ride People) in my universe mass 140 kg on average, which can effectively increase to 210+ kg with the addition of a rider, controls, and/or cargo. Unlike most real life “heavy fliers”, they do not have a particularly low wing loading and do not heavily rely on thermals and gliding to fly. Instead, they do so using raw power.
Potential adaptations to produce as much brake power as possible:
Just like in IRL birds, a bidirectional breathing system that allows oxygen to be absorbed both when inhaling and exhaling.
Ability to inhale and exhale simultaneously, by using a “blowhole-like” bypass from the nasal palate directly to the lungs.
Flight muscles intrinsically connected to those that expand the thorax during inspiration. (in a similar manner to insect flight)
Proteins adapted to start denaturing at much higher temperatures, allowing survivable body temperatures as high as 57.2 °C (135 °F).
Skin containing contractile protein fibres that can provide mechanical counterpressure, aiding somewhat in exhalation and slightly reducing evaporation and protein denaturing potential through internal pressure.
Blood filled with high-efficiency variants of hemoglobin outside red blood cells.
Unlike IRL birds, the presence of sweat glands.
Constantly-open mouth able to produce tremendous amounts of saliva (~5 kg/hr) for evaporative cooling.
Areas of the skin have “rete mirabile”-like capillary pads acting as radiators.
Muscle fibres contain much better molecular motors than typical actin and myosin.
Metabolism with higher thermal efficiency for mechanical motion than that of humans, potentially as high as 35% compared to 20%.
Through the application of many of these adaptations, I estimate 24,000 W (32.2 hp) could be achieved in full burst (compare to 2,000 W for a human), for a power-to-weight ratio of 171 W/kg, which compares favorably with a wide variety of Great War, interwar, and general aviation aircraft.
Considering that natural fliers can be much more aerodynamic than the average aircraft of that era (with organic streamlining, “retractable landing gear”, “wingtips”, etc.) along with the ability for the wings to be at zero angle of attack at the downstroke (unlike propellers), a level burst speed of 200+ mph may be possible. Even in constant-speed flight, ~105 mph would be attainable, as fast as the White-throated needletail, the fastest IRL bird in level flight. Though they’d probably reject doing that unless there was waterfruit juice and a nice massage afterward, ’cause they sapient.

Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

Skymounts (a direct translation from the Classical Lodian yichanre’al, alternatively the Sky Ride People) in my universe mass 140 kg on average, which can effectively increase to 210+ kg with the addition of a rider, controls, and/or cargo. Unlike most real life “heavy fliers”, they do not have a particularly low wing loading and do not heavily rely on thermals and gliding to fly. Instead, they do so using raw power.
Potential adaptations to produce as much brake power as possible:
Just like in IRL birds, a bidirectional breathing system that allows oxygen to be absorbed both when inhaling and exhaling.
Ability to inhale and exhale simultaneously, by using a “blowhole-like” bypass from the nasal palate directly to the lungs.
Flight muscles intrinsically connected to those that expand the thorax during inspiration. (in a similar manner to insect flight)
Proteins adapted to start denaturing at much higher temperatures, allowing survivable body temperatures as high as 57.2 °C (135 °F).
Skin containing contractile protein fibres that can provide mechanical counterpressure, aiding somewhat in exhalation and slightly reducing evaporation and protein denaturing potential through internal pressure.
Blood filled with high-efficiency variants of hemoglobin outside red blood cells.
Unlike IRL birds, the presence of sweat glands.
Constantly-open mouth able to produce tremendous amounts of saliva (~5 kg/hr) for evaporative cooling.
Areas of the skin have “rete mirabile”-like capillary pads acting as radiators.
Muscle fibres contain much better molecular motors than typical actin and myosin.
Metabolism with higher thermal efficiency for mechanical motion than that of humans, potentially as high as 35% compared to 20%.
Through the application of many of these adaptations, I estimate 24,000 W (32.2 hp) could be achieved in full burst (compare to 2,000 W for a human), for a power-to-weight ratio of 171 W/kg, which compares favorably with a wide variety of Great War, interwar, and general aviation aircraft.
Considering that natural fliers can be much more aerodynamic than the average aircraft of that era (with organic streamlining, “retractable landing gear”, “wingtips”, etc.) along with the ability for the wings to be at zero angle of attack at the downstroke (unlike propellers), a level burst speed of 200+ mph may be possible. Even in constant-speed flight, ~105 mph would be attainable, as fast as the White-throated needletail, the fastest IRL bird in level flight. Though they’d probably reject doing that unless there was waterfruit juice and a nice massage afterward, ’cause they sapient.