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
How do wings generate lift?
An airfoil generates lift by exerting a downward force on the air as it flows past In the case of an airplane wing, the wing exerts a downward force on the air and the air exerts an upward force on the wing
How do wings work on a bird?
Their shape uses the wind to make flying easier From side on, you can see that a bird’s wing is flat underneath and curved on top This means that the air passes faster above it than underneath it The difference in air speed creates air pressure underneath the wing, which lifts it up
How does air flow over a wing?
As air flows over the surface of a wing, it sticks slightly to the surface it is flowing past and follows the shape If the wing is angled correctly, the air is deflected downwards The action of the wing on the air is to force the air downwards while the reaction is the air pushing the wing upwards
Why does air travel faster over a wing?
A wing is shaped and tilted so the air moving over it moves faster than the air moving under it As air speeds up, its pressure goes down So the faster-moving air above exerts less pressure on the wing than the slower-moving air below The result is an upward push on the wing—lift!
How do planes fly upside down?
To fly upside down, a stunt plane just tilts its wings in the right direction The way a wing is tilted is the main thing that makes a plane fly, and not the wing’s shape The angle of attack is the angle between the axis of the wing and the direction of incoming air Public Domain Image, source: Christopher S
What is the formula for lift?
The lift equation states that lift L is equal to the lift coefficient Cl times the density r times half of the velocity V squared times the wing area A For given air conditions, shape, and inclination of the object, we have to determine a value for Cl to determine the lift
Can a human fly?
Humans are not physically designed to fly We cannot create enough lift to overcome the force of gravity (or our weight) Their light frame and hollow bones make it easier to counteract gravity Air sacs inside their bodies make birds lighter, which enables smoother motion through air
Is bird flying a potential or kinetic?
A flying bird is moving, and it is at a distance above the ground Because the bird is moving, it has kinetic energy, which is equal to one-half of
Do the birds pee?
Birds brighten our lives The answer lies in the fact that birds, unlike mammals, don’t produce urine Instead they excrete nitrogenous wastes in the form of uric acid, which emerges as a white paste And uric acid doesn’t dissolve in water easily
Where will air move faster above a wing?
Air moves more quickly over the curved upper surface of the wing than it does under the wing, which has a flatter surface The faster moving air produces less pressure than the slower moving air, causing the wing to lift toward the area of low pressure
Where is the pressure higher on a wing?
Air moves faster over the top of a wing, which results in an area of lower pressure Meanwhile, the bottom of the wing experiences higher pressure
What are the 2 forces that will always work against anything trying to take flight?
Drag and gravity are forces that act on anything lifted from the earth and moved through the air Thrust and lift are artificially created forces used to overcome the forces of nature and enable an airplane to fly
Does wing shape matter?
In general, the operation for which an airplane is designed determines the shape and design of its wings If the airplane is designed for low-speed flight, a thick airfoil is most efficient, whereas a thin airfoil is more efficient for high-speed flight
What causes lift?
Lift occurs when a moving flow of gas is turned by a solid object The flow is turned in one direction, and the lift is generated in the opposite direction, according to Newton’s Third Law of action and reaction Because air is a gas and the molecules are free to move about, any solid surface can deflect a flow
Can an airplane stay in the air without moving?
Techincally, there is only one way for the aircraft to remain hanging motionless in the air: if weight and lift cancel each other out perfectly, and at the same time thrust and drag cancel each other out too But this is incredibly rare To stay in the air and sustain its flight, an aircraft needs to be moving forward
How do jets flip?
However, airplanes that consistently have to fly upside down (like stunt planes or fighter aircraft), have symmetrical wings Therefore, they can’t rely on the shape of the wings; they only manage to fly upside down by tilting their wings in the right direction to generate sufficient lift
Why don’t planes travel in a straight line?
When traditional flat maps are made, distortions occur when the sphere is made flat Those flight paths that don’t appear straight on a flat map will look quite straight if you look at them on a globe Instead of relying on flat maps, airplanes follow “great circle” routes that account for the curvature of the Earth
How do you calculate lift and drag?
The lift/drag ratio is used to express the relation between lift and drag and is determined by dividing the lift coefficient by the drag coefficient, CL/CD A ratio of L/D indicates airfoil efficiency Aircraft with higher L/D ratios are more efficient than those with lower L/D ratios
How do you calculate lift in an experiment?
As we all (should) know, the lift formula gives us a good representation of what is going on: L = 1/2 ρ V2 × S × CL Where 1/2 ρ V2 is air density times true airspeed resulting in dynamic energy, S is wing area and CL the coefficient lift
How do you calculate lift take off?
The takeoff field length consists of two parts: takeoff ground roll and takeoff path to 35 ft height To get an estimate equation, which can be used in aircraft design it is necessary to make certain simplifications: The lift-off speed is equal to 12 × stall speed vS