What Causes an Airplane to Fly?

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What Causes an Airplane to Fly?
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Test Your Knowledge !
Match term with letter. Weight Drag Lift
Thrust A_______ B________ C________ D________
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Newtons Third Law

• For every action there is an equal and opposite
  reaction.
• What does this have to do with flight?

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Thrust

• The goal of a jet engine is to produce thrust.

The engine pushes air molecules out the exhaust
end of the turbine to generate a high speed jet
of exhaust gas. THRUST!
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Thrust from the engine moves the airplane forward.
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Drag

• As the plane moves forward the air around it
  creates a force called Drag.
• Drag resists the movement of the airplane.

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Lift

• How does an airplane create lift?
• We can look to our fine feathered friends for the
  answer

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Lift

• Air moves faster over the wing than underneath
  it.
• Because faster air exerts less pressure than
  slower moving air..

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Lift

• ....The pressure underneath the wings lifts
  the plane off the ground

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Flight

• To stay in level flight the following
  relationships must be true
• A) Lift C) Weight
• B) Thrust D) Drag

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Links

• For more great information go to
  www.howstuffworks.com