HOW DOES AN AIRPLANE FLY?

To answer the this question let's see the forces that make aircraft fly.

1. Four Forces at Play:

   • When an airplane is in flight, four fundamental forces come into play:
     • Lift: This upward force counteracts the plane’s weight, allowing it to stay aloft.
     • Weight: The gravitational force pulling the plane downward.
     • Thrust: The force generated by the engines that propels the plane forward.
     • Drag: Air resistance acting against the plane’s motion.
   • These forces work together to keep the airplane in equilibrium.

2. Wings and Lift:

   • Wings play a crucial role in generating lift.
   • As the airplane moves forward, air flows over the wings.
   • The shape of the wings and their angle of attack create pressure differences.
   • The Bernoulli principle explains that faster-moving air over the curved upper surface of the wing creates lower pressure, while slower-moving air underneath creates higher pressure.
   • This pressure difference results in an upward force called lift.
   • Essentially, the wings “push” the air downward, and in reaction, the air pushes the plane upward.

3. Thrust and Engines:

   • The airplane’s engines provide thrust by expelling hot exhaust gases backward.
   • This backward motion pushes the plane forward.
   • As the plane moves, air flows over the wings, creating lift.
   • So, it’s the engines that move the plane forward, while the wings move it upward.

4. Control and Steering:

   • To steer the plane, pilots adjust the control surfaces:
     • Ailerons: Located on the wings, they control roll (tilting left or right).
     • Elevator: On the tail, it controls pitch (nose up or down).
     • Rudder: Also on the tail, it controls yaw (turning left or right).
   • By manipulating these surfaces, pilots maintain stability and direct the plane.

5. Conclusion:

• Thanks to the ingenious combination of wings, engines, and control surfaces, airplanes can defy gravity and take us to distant destinations.