Forces of Flight Making Flight Possible What FOUR Forces are acting on Aircraft ? What is the role of Newton ’ s 2 nd Law of Motion ( f = ma )? Aircraft and Equilibrium

Four Forces in Flight

Lift - verse - Weight  Lift is the Key to flight. If you can overcome weight you can FLY.  To do this, wings are made with a CURVED upper surface and a FLAT lower surface.  Air now flows faster over the Top and the Bottom  This creates a difference in pressure ( Top - More & Bottom – Less ) thus Lift is created ( Net Force - UP )

What is Weight ?  The effect of the force of GRAVITY on an object pulling it towards the center of the Earth.  Aircraft have a center point of this pull called the “ Center of Gravity ”. In flight, it rotates around this point.  Aircraft ’ s weight can be great. It is the combination of all the mass ( parts, fuel, payload ) distributed throughout the airplane.

Thrust – verse - Drag  To create LIFT force air has to flow over the wing.  To get air moving over the wing, one needs to create – THRUST  Thrust is the FORCE that is generated (airplane’s engine)  Thrust is aligned with the direction of flight and opposite the direction of the airflow over the wing. NO THRUST – NO FORCE - NO LIFT

What is Drag ?  Air resists the movement of the aircraft.  As the aircraft flies through the air, it causes air molecules to separate in front of it ' s path.  This occurs along the wing and body  Drag will slow the forward motion of the aircraft thus requiring more thrust. the aircraft thus requiring more thrust.

Newton & Flight ( F = MA ) This is what makes Airplanes Fly  This equation tells us that an aircraft subject to an external force will accelerate ( velocity ) and that acceleration ( velocity ) is related to the mass.  The heavier the aircraft the more the velocity to fly. The change is velocity generated the Force to fly … creates lift

What ’ s Equilibrium & Flight ?  Two types of Stability  Static : No Movement & Dynamic : Movement  Flight Equilibrium  Equilibrium Flight : Lift = Weight and Thrust = Drag  NET Force Equals ZERO  Aircraft continues to either sit on the ground or fly ( Newton ’ s 1 st Law )  Change in NET Force and you …..

Put it all Together The Wright Brother’s got it WRIGHT (right) Mr. Heck Flying the Wright B Aircraft Video

References http :// www 1. nasa. gov / audience / foreducators / k - 4/ features / F _ Four _ Forces _ of _ Flight. htmlhttp :// www 1. nasa. gov / audience / foreducators / k - 4/ features / F _ Four _ Forces _ of _ Flight. html http :// www. bing. com / videos / search ? q = NASA + Forces + of + Flight & FORM = VDRE & qpvt = NAS A + Forces + of + Flight #http :// www. bing. com / videos / search ? q = NASA + Forces + of + Flight & FORM = VDRE & qpvt = NAS A + Forces + of + Flight # http :// www. grc. nasa. gov / WWW / K -12/ airplane / forces. htmlhttp :// www. grc. nasa. gov / WWW / K -12/ airplane / forces. html http :// www. ueet. nasa. gov / StudentSite / dynamicsofflight. htmlhttp :// www. ueet. nasa. gov / StudentSite / dynamicsofflight. html http :// www. grc. nasa. gov / WWW / K -12/ airplane / short. htmlhttp :// www. grc. nasa. gov / WWW / K -12/ airplane / short. html http :// quest. nasa. gov / aero / planetary / atmospheric / forces. htmlhttp :// quest. nasa. gov / aero / planetary / atmospheric / forces. html