Forces of Flight

Question 1

Trust =

Answer 1

Forward thrust propels the airplane forward

Question 2

Drag

Answer 2

Slows the airplane down

Question 3

Lift

Answer 3

Makes the airplane fly

Question 4

Gravity

Answer 4

Makes the airplane fall

Question 5

Wing /Airfoil and lift

Answer 5

An airfoil (wing) creates LIFT when air is moving over its surface. The wings, elevators and rudder are all considered examples of an airfoil.

Bottom of wing - positive pressure
Top of wing - low pressure
Therefore pushes the wing up…LIFT

Question 6

Parts of an airplane that are considered airfoils…

Answer 6

The wings, elevators and rudder are all considered examples of an airfoil.

Question 7

Stalls - generic definition

Answer 7

When an airfoil is at a certain angle, it can exceed its angle of attack (AOA) on the wind, which causes the airfoil to lose lift.

This also happens if the air flow slows down over the airfoil (wing). When this happens, the airfoil again loses lift resulting in a stall.

Question 8

Stalls - technical explanation

Answer 8

When an airplane is flying, air is separated by the airfoil and “sticks” to the wings surface to join again at the trailing edge after passing over the top and bottom surface (laminar airflow). When the air starts to “burble” over the leading edge because of the increase in the angle of attack and DOES NOT join up with the air at the trailing edge, a stall has begun.

Different wings stall at different rates and different wing shapes affect where Nd when the stall will begin.

Question 9

Other Factors affecting lift

Answer 9

Anytime you change the shape of the airfoil, you affect its LIFT.
If an airfoil accumulates ice, loss of lift.

Drag also affects lift. Extend flaps, change shape of airfoil, lift is increased at the expense of drag. To overcome drag, power must be applied

Question 10

Three Axis of airplane control

Answer 10

Longitudinal Axis - Roll

Lateral Axis - Pitch

Vertical Axis - Yaw

Question 11

Longitudinal Axis

Answer 11

ROLL

a motion created by the AILERONS which are located at the trailing edge of the wings and make the airplane bank about the roll axis.

Question 12

Lateral Axis

Answer 12

PITCH

motion created by the elevator which are the small looking wings located at the rear of the airplane on the tail and make the airplane pitch up or down on the pitch axis.

Question 13

VERTICAL AXIS

Answer 13

YAW

Motion created by the RUDDER which is the large tall vertical section at the rear of the airplane and makes the airplane SWING from side to side on the YAW axis

Question 14

Four Forces of Flight

Answer 14

Thrust

Drag

Lift

Gravity