This paper investigates the propulsive performance of the lunate tails of aquatic animals achieving high propulsive efficiency (the hydromechanical efficiency being defined as the ratio of the work done by the mean forward thrust to the mean rate at which work is done by the tail movements on the surrounding fluid). Small amplitude heaving and pitching motions of a finite flat-plate wing of general planform with a rounded leading edge and a sharp trailing edge are considered. This is a generalization of Chopra's (1974) work on model rectangular tails. This motion characterizes vertical oscillations of the horizontal tail flukes of some cetacean mammals. The same oscillations, turned through a right angle to become horizontal motions of side-slip and yaw, characterize the caudal fins of certain fast-swimming fishes; viz. wahoo, tunny, wavyback skipjack, etc., from the Percomorphi and whale shark, porbeagle, etc., from the Selachii. Davies’ (1963, 1976) method of finding the loading distribution on the wing and generalized force coefficients, through approximate solution of an integral equation relating the loading and the upwash (lifting-surface theory), is used to find the total thrust and the rate of working of the tail, which in turn specify the hydromechanical swimming performance of the animals. The physical parameters concerned are the tail aspect ratio ((span)2/planform area), the reduced frequency (angular frequency x typical length/forward speed), the feathering parameter (the ratio of the tail slope to the slope of the path of the pitching axis), the position of the pitching axis, and the curved shapes of the leading and trailing edges. The variation of the thrust and the propulsive efficiency with these parameters has been discussed to indicate the optimum shape of the tail. It is found that, compared with a rectangular tail, a curved leading edge as in lunate tails gives a reduced thrust contribution from the leading-edge suction for the same total thrust; however, a sweep angle of the leading edge exceeding about 30° leads to a marked reduction of efficiency. Another implication of the present analysis is that no negative work is involved in the actual oscillation of the tail.The present results are used to obtain an estimate of the drag coefficient for the motion of the animals, based on observed data and the computed thrust. The results show some evidence of differences between the CD's for cetacean mammals and scombroid fish respectively. Some discussion of this difference is also given.

The two-dimensional theory of lunate-tail propulsion is extended to motions of arbitrary amplitude, regular or irregular, so that an accurate comparison may be made with the actual lunate-tail propulsion of scombroid fishes and cetacean mammals. There is no restriction at all on the amplitude of motion but the tail's angle of attack relative to its instantaneous path through the water is assumed to remain small. The theory is applied to the regular finite amplitude motion of a thin aerofoil with a rounded leading edge to take advantage of the suction force and a sharp trailing edge to ensure smooth tangential flow past the rear tip. This can represent the vertical motions of the horizontal lunate tails of large aspect ratio with which cetacean mammals propel themselves or the horizontal undulations of the vertical lunate tails of certain fast fishes. The dependence of the thrust, the hydromechanical propulsive efficiency and the energy wasted in churning up the eddying wake on the reduced frequency, the angle of attack and the amplitude of motion is exhibited.