Latest news from Brookside Village, TX collected exclusively by city-data.com from local newspapers, TV, and radio stations. Ancestries: United States (16.2%), German (8.9%), English (5.7%), Irish (5.5%), Czech (4.6%), Italian (1.6%). Current Local Time: CST time zone. Elevation: 50 feet.
It depends on whether you are talking about an African or European swallow. The airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow is roughly 11 meters per second, or 24 miles per hour*, beating its wings 7-9 times per second (rather than 43). But please note that a 5 ounce bird cannot carry a one pound coconut.
The European Swallow (Hirundo rustica) must beat its wings 18 times per second to remain airborne (not 43 as is popularly believed). Comparing this with the average amplitude of their wing beat we come out to an average airspeed of about 11 meters per second (approximately 24 miles an hour). This is cruising speed, mind you.