Can Dragons In Game Of Thrones Really Fly? Here Is The Scientific Explanation
The fantastic universe of a Song of Ice and Fire (Game Of Thrones) created in the novels of George RR Martin has a huge number of characters and houses that represent them. But in addition to these, certain importance in history is also given to dragons, fascinating mythological creatures that have always intrigued and are included in many fantasy genre content.
In the cinematographic transpositions of Martin’s novels, these winged reptiles are shown for the first time in the TV series Game of Thrones: three majestic specimens born and raised by Daenerys Targaryen who for this reason, among the many titles, also acquires that of Mother of Dragons. These beings have always been faithful companions of the Targaryen dynasty and in this regard, dragons are also shown in House of the Dragon, a spin-off/sequel to Game of Thrones. TV series that tells the story of the Targaryens, who become the last Dragon Lords after a cataclysm destroys the Valiryan Empire from which they descend.
However, since the time of Daenerys, several discussions have begun in the fandom about her dragons, which are still a matter of debate today. And not to comment on the beauty of the winged monsters, but rather to criticize what turns out to be an incongruity, although it is still fictional: according to many fans, dragons do not have an adequate wingspan that can allow them to fly and lift their huge body, which turns out to be too unbalanced when compared to the size of the wings. But after so many years, a concrete explanation finally arrives that puts a point in the discussion.
Can Dragons In Game Of Thrones Really Fly? The Scientific Explanation
The aeronautical engineer Guy Gratton, through science and some branches of mathematics, has managed to give the answer that many have been looking for for some time. Gratton speculated that in the universe created by George RR Martin, gravity is the same as on Earth but with a higher density. Thesis that he claims is demonstrable through some events that happen in Game of Thrones; for example, the ease with which some heavy weapons such as swords and javelins are thrown.
To establish instead the real dimensions of a dragon, the engineer has taken as a unit of measurement the same Daenerys that in the course of the series is seen several times alongside or riding her “children”. Also according to Gratton’s estimates, the Mother of Dragons should be about 1.60 meters tall for 60 kg of weight: with this reference comparison, the body of a dragon turns out to be four times longer than that of Daenerys, twice as wide and five times deeper; while the tail has about the same length as the body of the animal, but with a greater thickness. Based on this, Gratton believes that the mass of an adult dragon should be roughly 44 times that of Daenerys, which is around 2,600 kg.
Finally, there were two other elements that Gratton considered. One concerns the wing area, which should have an opening almost twice the length of the dragon’s body, while the second point is the stall speed: according to this value, the engineer assumes that dragons take off and land more or less at the same speed as birds and airplanes do. Ultimately, through some complicated calculations based on all these collected elements, Gratton’s answer is positive: dragons can fly.
Certainly, a very interesting explanation, considering that dragons do not exist in reality and that we are always talking about fiction, where everything is possible without necessarily having to find a logical explanation. But the fact that an Air Force engineer even “bothered” to solve this dilemma speaks volumes about how often fantasy fascinates more than reality itself.
