The Physics of Flight (2024)

FAQs

What is the physics behind flight? ›

There are four forces that impact a plane's flight: Thrust, Lift, Gravity, and Drag. Planes can fly long and fast when all four of these forces are in balance. Lift is the force that gets the plane in the air; thrust is the force that keeps it moving forward.

The theory states that a wing keeps an airplane up by pushing the air down. Air has mass, and from Newton's third law it follows that the wing's downward push results in an equal and opposite push back upward, which is lift. The Newtonian account applies to wings of any shape, curved or flat, symmetrical or not.

Four forces affect an airplane while it is flying: weight, thrust, drag and lift. See how they work when you do these activities as demonstrations.

There are three laws of motion/flight as outlined by Newton: Every object in a state of uniform motion will remain in that state of motion unless an external force acts on it. Force equals mass times acceleration. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

According to Bernoulli's Principle, as the air flows over the wing's curved upper surface, its velocity increases, and its pressure decreases. This creates a region of lower pressure above and higher pressure below the wing.

Air moving over the curved upper surface of the wing will travel faster and thus produce less pressure than the slower air moving across the flatter underside of the wing. This difference in pressure creates lift which is a force of flight that is caused by the imbalance of high and low pressures.

In 1849 in England, Sir George Cayley built the first successful glider which carried his coachman safely down a hill. He formulated the basic principles of heavier-than-air flight and turned aviation from a fantasy into a science.

Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space (i.e. spaceflight).

There are three basic forces to be considered in aerodynamics: thrust, which moves an airplane forward; drag, which holds it back; and lift, which keeps it airborne. Lift is generally explained by three theories: Bernoulli's principle, the Coanda effect, and Newton's third law of motion.

In heavier-than-air craft, lift is created by the flow of air over an airfoil. The shape of an airfoil causes air to flow faster on top than on bottom. The fast flowing air decreases the surrounding air pressure. Because the air pressure is greater below the airfoil than above, a resulting lift force is created.

What force makes an airplane turn? ›

The horizontal component of lift caused an airplane to turn. When an airplane is banked, part of the lift is directed horizontally, towards the center of the airplane's turn radius, resulting in a centripetal force that turns the airplane.

Aeronautics is the study of the science of flight. Aeronautics is the method of designing an airplane or other flying machine. There are four basic areas that aeronautical engineers must understand in order to be able to design planes.

Airplane wings are shaped to make air move faster over the top of the wing. When air moves faster, the pressure of the air decreases. So the pressure on the top of the wing is less than the pressure on the bottom of the wing. The difference in pressure creates a force on the wing that lifts the wing up into the air.

Know where you are; • Know where you should be; and, • Know where the terrain and obstacles are. Communicate : Effective crew communication involves communications between flight crew and controller, between flight crew members and between flight crew and cabin crew.

All of Newton's laws of motion are connected, so for every motion, every one of Newton's laws applies. The first law shows us that the plane will keep flying at the same speed unless something makes it accelerate.

Aerodynamics – analysis of aerodynamic performance for all types of air vehicles and specified flight conditions.

For a drone to fly, it must generate lift, which is the force that opposes the drone's weight and holds it in the air. This is achieved through the shape and angle of the drone's wings, designed to create a difference in air pressure above and below the wing.

Turbulence from Convection Currents and Obstructions. Convection currents cause the bumpiness experienced by pilots flying at low altitudes in warmer weather. On a low flight over varying surfaces, the pilot will encounter updrafts over pavement or barren places and downdraft over vegetation and water.

Aerodynamics is the way objects move through air. The rules of aerodynamics explain how an airplane is able to fly. Anything that moves through air is affected by aerodynamics, from a rocket blasting off, to a kite flying. Since they are surrounded by air, even cars are affected by aerodynamics.