D R A G O N W I N G I N F O
About half the length of a dragon wing is supported by the armlike bones (complete with elbow) between the shoulder and the finger joint, the structure which includes the bones found in a human's writs and hand without the fingers. The massive strength of the shoulder and upper arm muscles supply the greatest "lift" of the dragon. The elbow has a slightly flexed position, and a membrane stretches between the shoulder and finger joint forming the leading edge. The finger joint includes the metacarpus, the vestigial "thumb", and the joints for all the wing bones. The extensor and flexure muscles which originate below the elbow narrow into long tendons just before reaching the finger joint, and these extend all along the wing bones, attached at each successive join for fine control of the wing tips.
The first two wing bones run almost together, as the bones form the outer "spar" portion of the lub. The remaining two wing bones fan out from the finger joint. The inner bone is almost perpendicular to the spar bone, and ends about midway between the body and the forestay finger tip.
Originating at the dorsal spine
of the back, and stretching to the inner bone, is the largest of three
vast membranes -- the main wingsails. The primary wingsail must support
the bulk of the dragon's weight. The two lesser sails run from inner bone
to midbone, and midbone to spar bone. They are also vital for support,
bye are equally important for maneuverability. Both axes of the wing
can be altered by the flexion of the various joints. The tip of the
spar mainsail can function almost independently, and thus is called the
finger sail. Due to the sheer bulk of the mainsails, additional support
is provided by cartilaginous battens which extend from the arm and finger
joint to the leech or trailing edge.
Some T E R M S related to the dragon wing
LUB
-- The whole upper edge of the wing, from shoulder to forestay tip.
LEADING EDGE
-- The top cartiledge of the wing.
LEECH
-- The whole lower edge of the wing, from the body to the forestry tip.
TRAILING EDGE
-- The lower cartiledge of the wing.
BATTEN RIB
-- Cartiledge ribs within the mainsails, joining sections of aileron to
other ribs as well as the different bones/body.
AILERON
-- The sections and membranes which make up the mainsails.
BONES
-- The wing has 4 major bone groups, each made up of 3 sections. Inner
Bone // Mid-bone // Spar bone // Outer bone
MAINSAIL
-- The wing has 3 mainsails, each made up of aileron and batten ribs Primary
Mainsail // Secondary Mainsail // Spar Mainsail
FINGERSAIL
-- The section of the spar mainsail which reaches diagonally from the lowest
minor joint of the spar bone to the trailing edge.
FINGER JOINT
-- An extra bone which protrudes from the "hand" of the dragon from the
same point the other bone sections merge.