What makes flight fly

A plane flies through the air by continually pushing and pulling the surrounding air downward. In response to the force of moving the air down, the air pushes the airplane upward. Newton's 3rd law of motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite re-action. An airplane wing is shaped so that the air is deflected downward as the wing passes.

Because air is a fluid a gas , both the top and the bottom surface of the wing deflect the air. This is very different than dealing with solid pellets for which only the bottom surface would deflect. The faster an airplane travels the more lift is generated. This brought an end to practically all heavier-than-air experiments until nineteenth century. On October 15, , Jean-Francois had made a flight in a Mongolfier hot-air balloon tethered flight for 4 minutes 24 second.

Lessthan two month later a hydrogen-filled balloon had completed a successful two-hours free flight. German Otto Lilienthal , whose graceful and beautifully-constructed hang-gliders enable him to become the first man in the world to fly confidently and regularly, total more than flights.

He did not develop control surfaces for his gliders, but rely on body movements to provide limited control in the three axes of pitch, yaw, and roll. He lost his life at age of 48 on 10 August due to one of his gliders stalled and crashed to the ground. The persons who pioneer of the gliders were Otto Lilienthal German , Percy Pilcher England He also lost his life in a glider clashed three years after Lilienthal, and Octave Chanute American Wilbur and Orville Wright, had been interested in the possibility of mechanical flight in the early years.

By , they became freinds with Chanute. Chanute encouraged , providing information, and directly assisted the Wrights to achieve their goal of power flight later. First flight they flied the flyer was on 17 December This is generally accepted as the first man to accomplised the dream.

Eventhrough there are some controversy over the first powered aircraft. Alberto Santos-Dumont a little brazilian living in France. During , with his No. Have the students identify where the four forces are located that make it possible for the airplane to fly. What force must be larger for the airplane to speed up? Answer: Thrust What force must be larger as the airplane takes off? Answer: Lift What force must be larger for the airplane to slow down?

Answer: Drag What force must be larger for the airplane to begin descending? Answer: Weight Ask the students why it is important for engineers to understand these forces. How might engineers make airplanes better? Example answer: Decrease drag by improving the shape of the plane. Acceleration: A change in direction, or speeding up or slowing down. When you push the gas pedal on a car to start after a stop sign, the car accelerates. Aeronautical engineer: A person who studies the forces involved in flight.

An aeronautical engineer might be responsible for designing new airplanes, spaceships or parachutes. An aeronautical engineer might also work with a biologist to learn about how birds or insects fly. Drag: The force that slows an airplane or parachute down.

Drag is caused by air particles hitting against a moving object. Force: Something that acts from the outside to push or pull an object. For example, an adult pulling a child in a wagon exerts a force upon the wagon. Lift: The force that pushes an airplane up into the air. Lift is caused by the shape of an airplane's wings.

Thrust: The force that pushes an airplane forward. Thrust can be produced on airplanes by propellers or jet engines. Weight: The force of a mass being attracted to another mass.

For example, the Earth's mass pulls you down a certain amount sometimes called "the force of gravity". When you stand on a scale, this force is measured as your weight.

Count the votes and write the totals on the board. Give the right answer. Drawing: Have the students draw a picture of a scene, maybe the classroom, the playground or their house.

Then, ask them to draw arrows for all the forces at work in their picture and try to name as many of those forces as they can.

Bingo: Provide each student with a sheet of paper containing a list of the lesson vocabulary terms. Have each student walk around the room and find a student who can define one vocabulary term. Students must find a different student for each term. When a student has all terms completed they shout "Bingo! Ask the students who shouted "Bingo! Ask the students to write a short story describing a situation that involves "balanced" forces constant motion versus "unbalanced" forces when things accelerate.

How are the forces acting on an airplane flying similar to the forces acting on a boat moving through water? How are they different? Answer: Caused by different things: sails instead of propellers for thrust, water instead of air for drag, etc.

Have the students investigate the history of flight. What stories involve people wanting to fly Greek myths? Who were the first people to fly successes and failures? When did the first successful airborne experience occur? When was the first jet made?

The first helicopter? The first rocket? When did humans first make a successful journey into space? Encourage the students to follow their own individual curiosity with respect to flight. Once the reports are written, have each student make a brief class presentation on what they learned. Benson, Tom. Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics. June 4, October 16, Hauser, Jill Frankel. Charlotte, Vermont: Williamson Publishing, Wolfson, Richard and Jay M. Physics: For Scientists and Engineers.

However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the Department of Education or National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government. Why Teach Engineering in K?