Shortly after human flight was invented we reached the moon. Yet human flight is not as sophisticated as bird or insect flight, it is much more inefficient, and we never reached other stars.
How do you mean? Human planes are faster and can transport freight better. They can even self-pilot with modern AI software. The biggest weaknesses would seem to be a lack of self-reproduction and self-repair, but those aren't really part of flight.
How do you mean? Human planes are faster and can transport freight better.
Energy efficiency and maneuverability. I suppose a dragonfly would have been a better example. We never really went straight from no artificial flight towards generally superbird/insect flight. All we got are expert flight systems, no general flight systems. Even if we were handed the design for a perfect artificial dragonfly, minus the design for the flight of a dragonfly, we wouldn't be able to build a dragonfly that can take over the world of dragonflies, all else equal, by means of superior flight characteristics.
Link: overcomingbias.com/2011/07/debating-yudkowsky.html