How do airplanes stay in the air?
Author: Arthur Arnelt
Website: http://www.ABCAviation.com
Added: Sat, Sep 23, 2006 22:58:30
Category: Aviation Questions
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Lots of people wonder how airplanes stay in the air. There are four forces involved in flying: drag, thrust, lift, and weight.
The lift force pushes the plane upward. The wings of a plane are shaped to create lift as air moves across them.
The weight of the plane involves the Earth’s force of gravity that pulls the plane down. In building a plane, the weight in the front and back must be balanced.
Thrust is the force that makes a plane move forward. The main source of thrust for an airplane is its propellers or engine. Importantly, for the plane to stay in the air, it must have fuel to run its engines.
Drag is the force that slows down the plane. The force of drag counters the force of thrust.
keywords: Aviation | Flying | Pilot | Planes | Airplane About the Author:
Arthur Arnelt answers frequently asked aviation questions at PrettyGreatAnswers.com.
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