What Causes an Airplane to Fly?

1. What Causes an Airplane to Fly?

2. Test Your Knowledge ! Match term with letter. Weight Drag Lift Thrust A_______ B________ C________ D________

3. Newton’s Third Law • For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. • What does this have to do with flight?

4. 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!

5. Thrust from the engine moves the airplane forward.

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

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

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

9. Lift • ……………....The pressure underneath the wings lifts the plane off the ground

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

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