Physics behind aviation

How did physics reassure engineers that flying an airplane was worth the risk?

It was faith in physics that reassured the engineers (and bankers) that such a massive undertaking was worth the risk

Physics describes four basic elements involved with flying an airplane

Flight involves a constant tug of war between lift vs

gravity, and thrust vs drag

What is the physics of airplane flight?

To begin this deeper dive into the physics of airplane flight, consider Newton’s Third Law of Motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction

This, in physics terms, is how balance is achieved – the air acts as an upward force on the plane, hence lift, and the weight and mass acts as a downward force, hence drag

What is the power of flight?

The power of flight has inspired us since we first saw birds flying in the sky

However, the physics behind flight eluded us for millennia

Today, we have mathematics to describe the principles behind this phenomenon, and it no longer confuses and eludes us

×AerodynamicsThe physics behind aviation is explained by aerodynamics, which is a branch of physics that deals with the motion of air and other gaseous fluids and with the forces acting on bodies passing through such a fluid. Heavier-than-air flight is made possible by a careful balance of four physical forces: lift, drag, weight, and thrust. Airplanes are controlled by the elevator, rudder and ailerons, which redirect airflow using Newton’s Law and Bernoulli’s Principle. Airplane wings are shaped to make air move faster over the top of the wing, creating a force that lifts the wing up into the air.

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