The Physics of Flight
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Transcript The Physics of Flight
The Physics of Flight
Dan Sullivan
What is flight?
Process by which an
object achieves
sustained movement
through the air by
aerodynamically
generating lift
Mechanical flight=the
use of a machine,
called an aircraft, to
fly
How does flight occur?
4 important forces to
account for while
flying:
– Thrust: T=v (dm/dt)
Aircraft’s engines
generate thrust
– Lift
Air passes over/under
airfoil (aircraft’s wings)
– Drag
Resistance
– Weight
Gravity
Forces of Flight, Pt.1
Thrust: Reaction force, generated in aircraft by engines drawing
in massive amounts of air.
The air is then compressed inside the engine, and rapidly
escapes out of the back of the engine.
– Newton’s 2nd, 3rd laws
Forces of Flight, Pt.2
Lift: created when air
interacts with airfoil
(wing) and deflected
downward. Force
created by the
deflection creates
equal, opposite upward
force (N’s 3rd)
– At slower speeds,
aircraft employ flaps,
which increase surface
area and lift, and help
prevent stalling
Forces of Flight, Pt. 3
Drag: Force that
resists the
movement of a
solid through air
– Friction created by
plane passing
through the air
Weight:
gravitational force
on object, in this
case, an aircraft
How does an aircraft move?
3 Axes of movement
– Roll: Ailerons
Controls banking motions
of aircraft
– Pitch: Elevator
Controls angle of attack
(up, down movement)
– Yaw: Rudder
Moves plane laterally
– When yawing, outside
wing has greater lift,
causes turn
Bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org
www.airliners.net
www.jetphotos.net
http://www.av8n.com/physics/img48/yawpitch-roll.png
www.flightlevel350.com
“The Miracle of Flight”-Stephen Dalton