The Science of Flight

Mr. ZushmaTechnology & Design for Science and Engineering

Before you fly your airplane

You need to understand the Science

Of flight

We live in an ocean of air

Air can be studied like the ocean,We fly in an ocean of air.

Forces are placed on the wings of the plane

Air pressure acts on the entire surface of the wing

When the plane is not

moving the air pressure is

equal on both sides.

Air has weight

Air holds the paper against the glass and keeps the water

inside.

Fish live in an ocean of water

We live in an ocean of air.

If we sank this bottle to the bottom of the ocean…What

would happen to it?

Air is pressing down on everything all the time

At sea level – air presses down with 14.7 pounds per

square inch!

The higher above sea level you travel…

The lower the air pressure

13.7 Psi on a mountain

14.7 PSI at sea level

The lower below sea level you travel…

The higher the pressure.You can feel your ears popping! *

The Bernoulli principle

Over two hundred years ago the Bernoulli brothers

mathematically unlocked a secret of flight.

The Bernoulli principle states:

When a fluid like air speeds up, its

pressure decreases.

The wing of an airplane

Is shaped in a manor so that the air traveling over the top

speeds up. This creates lift.

Stalling the plane:

The plane is not made to fly like a helicopter!

The main wing of the plane provides lift

If a 12”x12” piece of wing is 144 sq. inches…

The main wing of the plane provides lift

When we reduce the air pressure on the wing by 1

pound…that one sq. foot can lift 144 pounds!

Four Principals of Flight

• Thrust • Lift • Weight • Drag