Aerodynamics 101: How does an airplane fly?

Many things in the world are hard to explain. How a metal aircraft weighing over 500 tons can fly in the air is one of them. It may seem outlandish for some people, but don’t worry. The physics are solid, and the explanation is quite simple. 

Image source: airspacemag.com

The most crucial part of getting a plane off the runway is getting molecules to push the undersides of the plane up than the upper sides. When the undersides of a wing crash more violently with molecules, it generates lift. 

If an airplane is parked on the ground, the molecules around its wings bounce off with the same force above and below the wing. But as the plane takes off, the wings’ curvature and its angle create more friction between molecules and the underside of the wing and less for the upper side of the wing. This increases the upward force on the bottom side of the wing which generates lift. 

That covers how planes get off the runway. But how do they stay in the air? Airplanes can easily do this because there is no net force on them. Newton’s law states that a body at rest stays at rest and a body in motion remains in motion. Even if a plane is flying 15,000 kilometers above the earth, the laws of physics are still followed. 

Image source: gizmodo.com

Skilled in commercial sales and aviation products marketing, government contracting, and startups, Scott Beale has piloted successful business turnarounds in the aviation industry for more than 20 years. For more on Scott and his professional endeavors, click here.