SCIENCE

What are the 4 Forces of Flight?

1. Lift

Lift is the force that holds an airplane in the air. The wings create most of the lift used by airplanes.

2. Weight/Gravity

Weight is the force caused by gravity.

3. Drag

Drag is the force that acts opposite to the direction of motion. It tends to slow an object. Drag is caused by friction and differences in air pressure. An example is putting your hand out of a moving car window and feeling it pull back.

4.Thrust

Thrust is a force that moves an aircraft in the direction of the motion. It is created with a propeller, jet engine, or rocket. Air is pulled in and then pushed out in an opposite direction. One example is a household fan.

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Bird Wings and Airplanes

What an aircraft does in the air depends on the balance among the four forces involved in flight.

If the lift is greater than the weight, the plane will go up
If the thrust is great than the drag, the airplane will speed up
If the lift and the weight are equal, and the thrust and drag are equal, the airplane will fly at a steady height and speed

Transforming the Future of Flight | PBS LearningMediaIn the early 1900s, the Wright Brothers found inspiration for their first airplane in nature. Their "Flyer," which was modeled on a bird's flexible wing design, was steered and stabilized by pulleys and cables that twisted the wingtips. Despite its success, this control strategy quickly vanished from aviation. Instead, stiff wings capable of withstanding the greater forces associated with increased aircraft weights and flying speeds became the standard. In this video segment adapted from NASA, learn how designs found in nature have inspired today's aerospace engineers as they conceive the next-generation of flying machines. This video is available in both English and Spanish audio, along with corresponding closed captions.

Flight | Science Trek | PBS LearningMediaIn this video segment from IdahoPTV's Science Trek you fly with a pilot and a student as you hear about the four forces of weight, lift, drag and thrust. The Bernoulli Effect is illustrated. You will see the instruments that control the 3 dimensions in which a plane flies.

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