Game Theory: Could Tails Really Fly? (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Miles "Tails" Prower is introduced as an engineering genius with an IQ of 300 who has performed incredible feats like building a TV from paperclips and reprogramming a supercomputer using dishwashing detergent and a toothpick.

Despite Tails' incredible engineering abilities, the episode investigates whether his twin tails can actually provide enough lift for him to fly according to real-world physics.

The analysis was prompted by the new real-life Sonic movie and builds on helicopter physics calculations previously developed during the Chun-Li episode.

Tails uses his tails to form a single-rotor system that spins fast enough to hover off the ground and propel himself forward at speeds comparable to Sonic's canon speed of over Mach 1.

According to Sega's canon data, Tails weighs 20 kilograms (44 pounds), which is significantly heavier than real foxes that typically max out at 14 kilograms, making him comparable in weight to an average six-year-old.

• Each tail extends to approximately 0.8 meters in length, matching Tails' canon height • Tail width measures 0.26 meters • Classic Tails has smaller tail dimensions than modern Tails, with modern Tails' tails extending past his body for a larger propeller area

To achieve a stable hover, Tails must generate 196.2 Newtons of force to counteract his weight.

The analysis assumes Tails has a magical pivot mechanism in his hindquarters to prevent tail tangling, functions in Earth's atmosphere, and experiences no unusual wind speeds.

Helicopter lift is calculated differently from airplane lift because helicopters generate upward force through rotating blades rather than wing gliding, requiring modifications to standard lift equations.

• Rho (air density at sea level): 1.225 constant • Coefficient of lift: 0.2 (very low because fox tails are not aerodynamic) • Tail area: 0.208 square meters for classic Tails, 0.416 square meters for modern Tails • Angular velocity: converted from radians to miles per hour for practical understanding

Classic Tails' tails must spin at 337 miles per hour (3,630 revolutions per minute) to hover, while modern Tails' tails must spin at 240.5 miles per hour (1,000 revolutions per minute).

These rotation speeds match actual heavy-lift drones and mini helicopters of comparable weight, with drones similar to Tails reaching 6,300 revolutions per minute.

When Tails' tails spin in one direction to generate lift, Newton's Third Law dictates that his body must spin in the opposite direction at equal speed, creating an uncontrollable spinning effect.

• Real helicopters have tail rotors that spin in the opposite direction to the main rotor • Tail rotors specifically counteract the torque that would otherwise cause the helicopter to spin out of control • All functioning helicopters require two rotors or rotor systems to remain stable and controllable

Tails is biologically structured with only two tails attached to his rear, with no mechanism for a counter-rotating tail rotor system, leaving him unable to control his directionality in flight.

While Tails could theoretically generate enough lift to hover, he would immediately spin out of control and could not maintain flight without an additional tail rotor assembly, making sustained flight physically impossible.