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Fundamentals of Flight
Fundamentals of Flight
A wing is really
just half a venturi
tube.
A fluid (and air acts like a fluid) speeds up
as it moves through a constricted space
Internal ribs
define the wings
shape
This US Navy Carrier Jet has a very small wing, how can
it fly? Can you see the airfoil?
Why is the wing small?
What other aerodynamic devices can you see?
How can an airplane fly upside down?
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/Wright/
airplane/incline.html
Pitch Around the Lateral Axis
Elevator Controls Pitch
The ELEVATOR
controls PITCH. On
the horizontal tail
surface, the elevator
tilts up or down,
decreasing or
increasing lift on the
tail. This tilts the nose
of the airplane up and
down.
Roll Around Longitudinal Axis
Ailerons Control Roll
The AILERONS control
ROLL. On the outer
rear edge of each wing,
the two ailerons move
in opposite directions,
up and down,
decreasing lift on one
wing while increasing it
on the other. This
causes the airplane to
roll to the left or right.
Yaw Around the vertical Axis
Rudder Controls Yaw
The RUDDER controls
YAW. On the vertical tail
fin, the rudder swivels from
side to side, pushing the
tail in a left or right
direction. A pilot usually
uses the rudder along with
the ailerons to turn the
airplane.
Vectors: Two Kinds in Aviation
Vectors to final approach – instructions to
a pilot to steer a specific course “Turn left
heading 270, vectors to final approach
course Grand Junction.”
Direction: 045 20
Magnitude: 20
45 o
What?
Vectors
20What Units?
Some unit of distance, force,
acceleration, time, etc.
Vectors
Vectors
Vectors
What good are
they? Or, “I was
told there would be
No Math!”
Adding Vectors
together = Resultant
Vectors Lift
Therefore, any
“vector” can be
“analyzed” or broken
down into horizontal
and vertical
components
Vectors: “The MATH”
Pythagorean
Properties
of right
triangles
Which of these airplanes will speed up?
Which will slow down?
Drag is the force of resistance an
aircraft ‘feels’ as it moves through
the air.
For an airplane to take
off, lift must be greater
than weight.