2. NOW LETS FLY TO SEE AND LEARN ABOUT
THE FOUR FORCES OF FLIGHT!!
3. THE FIRST FORCE: LIFT
WHEN YOU LIFT SOMETHING UP, WHERE DOES IT GO? UNDERGROUND? NO. IT GOES IN THE AIR. THAT IS WHY
A PLANE NEEDS LIFT TO FLY, FOR IT NEEDS TO GET INTO THE AIR. DID YOU KNOW THAT SOME PILOTS SAY
THAT THEY WANT DRAG (WHICH WE WILL TALK ABOUT LATER) TO GET OFF THE GROUND. ONE PILOT WHO
FLIED FOR OVER 60 YEARS TOLD ME, “SOMETIMES WIND MAKES DRAG WHICH CAN PUSH YOU INTO THE AIR
WITHOUT HAVING TO USE ANY FUEL.” SEE, EVEN THOUGH DRAG IS THE OPPOSITE FORCE, IT CAN DO LIFT’S
JOB SOMETIMES.
4. AIRFOILSWHAT’S AN AIRFOIL? TINFOIL ON AN AIRPLANES WINGS? NO! AN AIRFOIL IS THE SHAPE OF AN AIRPLANES
WINGS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURE BELOW. YOU NOTICE THAT THE FRONT OF THE WING IS THICKER OR
FATTER. THAT IS AN AIRFOIL. THE AIRFOIL MAKES AIR PRESSURE SPLIT AND GO ON TOP AND BOTTOM TO
HELP IT ACTUALLY MOVE BECAUSE THE TWO AIR PRESSURES PUSH TOGETHER! THE AIRFOIL WORKS WITH
LIFT TO GET A PLANE IN AND STAY IN THE AIR. WITHOUT AN AIRFOIL, THAT PASSENGER PLANE WOULDN’T GET
OFF THE GROUND! NEVER MIND ANOTHER STATE!!!
5. THE SECOND FORCE: THRUST
ANOTHER ONE OF THE GOOD FORCES WHICH IS ALMOST JUST LIKE LIFT IS THRUST. THRUST CAN COME
FROM THE PROPELLERS AND ENGINES. THRUST HELPS THE PLANE GO FORWARD AND WORKS WITH THRUST
TO HELP IT GO FORWARD AND UP.
6. THE THIRD FORCE: DRAG
• DRAG IS GOOD OR BAD
• DRAG CAN SLOW YOU DOWN IN THE AIR OR FOR A LANDING!!
, “Sometimes wind makes drag which can push you into the air without having to use any
fuel.” Drag is what pulls you back when you run with your hair out or swim without a tight
swimming cap. Like I talked about earlier and above, drag isn’t always bad, for it can help
you take off. Drag can also be really good for not having a crash landing. One example is
the parachute on a space shuttle. Drag can also be really bad. For example, my plane
wont be able to go forward if there is a lot of wind pushing me back
7. THE FOURTH FORCE: GRAVITY/WEIGHT
I jump up! I come down. Wait, why was I pulled down? That’s the question on
everyone’s mind that I am answering. Gravity here on earth pulls us and planes and
everything in between down. Gravity, just like drag, can be good for slowing down,
but passengers can be a big problem on a passenger plane. The pilot and co pilot
have to fly the plane a special way to adjust to the weight. That is how weight can be
a benefit and a challenge to flight.
