Beginner's
Guide to Aerodynamics
Forces on an Airplane and Resulting Motion Activity
If so instructed by your teacher, print out a worksheet
page for these problems.
Open the slide called
Forces on an Airplane
(with text). Study the labeled diagram and read the explanation. Next, open
the slide called Simple Aircraft Motion
and study the chart.
A. Answer the following
questions.
(1) Which
force on an airplane is always directed toward the center of the earth?
(2) Which force
on an airplane can also be called a resistance force?
(3) Which force
is responsible for moving the airplane forward?
(4) Which force
do the wings of the airplane generate?
B. For questions 5-8, predict what effect the following
flight conditions would have on the plane. (Would the plane rise, fall, slow,
or accelerate?)
(5) Drag
> Thrust
(6) Lift > Weight
(7) Thrust >
Drag
(8) Weight >
Lift
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