text: what is the air speed velocity of a fully laden swallow? both african and european, if possible... laden or unladen?  is it gripping it by the husk?  i know! it's a simple question of weight ratios! a five ounce bird could not carry a 1 pound coconut. so, in order to maintain air-speed velocity, a swallow needs to beat its wings 43 times every second, right? yeah, an african swallow maybe, but not a european swallow, that's my point. but then of course african swallows are not migratory. wait a minute -- supposing two swallows carried it together? they'd have to have it on a line... well, simple! they'd just use a strand of creeper! held under the dorsal guiding feathers... well, why not?  hmmm... weight = x trial 1 x trial 2 x trial 3 = #value + distance = a?  now all we need are a couple of swallows and a coconut (and the strand of creeper)!!!