How Feasible are Weaponized Wings for Flayt?

Question

Flayt, like Viji, are a race of anthropomorphic creatures, most resembling birds and around the size of a human. Back when I first imagined them, Flayt were essentially giant birds, with spotless white feathers, a bullet-like head (round and coming to a point, like a porpoise or a fish), and battle-ax like wings. Oh, and a crest/head spike, like a pteranodon, because I looked the look of those things.

Looking back years later, I recognize this is unfeasible. Wings without feathers, shaped like battleax blades? Capable of cutting through enemies (or perhaps a tree)? Even if those were to evolve, could they even fly with those?

The time has come, I believe, to make my childhood creations more realistic. But I need help to figure this out, and so my question is: How Feasible are Weaponized Wings for Flayt?

Specifically, can a functioning wing be formed of biological structures, specifically structures capable of cleaving through things like tree trunks, and be used accordingly without damaging the wing's ability to function?

Answer 1

I don't know if you'd tried to cut through a tree trunk but it's not as trivial as the animes make it seem. World champion competitive lumberjacks require about 15 seconds to cut through a dried 1ft diameter log with an an ax. So in a best case scenario you're talking about something that can hack through a tree with 15 seconds of focused high intensity effort.

Keep in mind that the traits that make a good wing, light weight, large control surfaces, run contrary to the traits that make a good axe, impact resistance, and concentrated mass at the end of a long lever arm. Put mass where it will be most effective for an axe swing and you're placing it in the area that will require the most energy to move while flying. Make the wings lighter and you're trading off durability and impact resistance required to be a good axe. To make muscle powered flight possible birds are incredibly tuned to being lightweight to the expense of pretty much everything else. In fact one of the axes used in competition can weigh as much as an adult bald eagle. That's before factoring the 200+ lbs of lumberjack needed to use the axe effectively.

Answer 2

Bludgeoning damage? Mother geese and swans protecting their young have been known to swat people and break their arms. However, I don't think any real world birds are capable of cleaving attacks with their wings like axes. Predators like eagles and hawks just use their talons and beaks.

The interesting thing about avian creatures is they have adapted wings in different ways. Consider the differences between birds and bats. Their hands have evolved differently. Bats have developed gliding wings and still have a kind of hook or claw on a part of their wing which they can use. In their case they use it to hook into surfaces such as cave or cliff walls. Not an expert on bats, but maybe this helps them hide from predators. You have to think of a reason why the Flayts evolved that way, with a sharper edge on their wings.