[1][5] Ellington was educated at Duke University where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1973.
Next, he combined aerodynamic analysis with physiological measurements to show that in flight, insect wing muscles work with remarkably low efficiencies.
To do this, he had to solve the formidable technical problem of measuring the oxygen consumption of a single bumblebee, in free flight over a range of speeds.
This has led to the unexpected discovery of a spanwise stabilising flow, explaining the unsteady effect that makes insect flight possible.
His achievements have been made possible by an exceptional combination of theoretical insight and technical ingenuity.