Argentina, M.Skotheim, J.Mahadevan, L.2019-09-272007Argentina, M., J. Skotheim, and L. Mahadevan. 2007. “Settling and Swimming of Flexible Fluid-Lubricated Foils.” Physical Review Letters 99 (22). https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.99.224503.0031-90071079-71141092-0145http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:41417312We study the dynamics of a flexible foil immersed in a fluid and moving close to a rigid wall. Lubrication theory allows us to derive equations of motion for the foil and thus examine the passive settling and the active swimming of a foil. This also allows us to partly answer the long-standing question in cartoon physics-can carpets fly? Our analysis suggests a region in parameter space where one may realize this dream and move the virtual towards reality.en-USJournal Article2019-09-2710.1103/PhysRevLett.99.224503