The Physics of Flight

Myths and Legends of Flight

 Icarus and Daedalus
– Daedalus- engineer imprisoned by
King Minos.
– With his son, Icarus, he made wings
of wax and feathers.
– Daedalus flew successfully from
Crete to Naples
– Icarus, flew too near to the sun. The
wings of wax melted and Icarus fell
to his death in the ocean.
 Pegasus
– Mythological Winged horse
 Ancient Dreamers
 Legends of flight attempts date to 2000 B.C.
– Many believed flying was for the mythical gods
– Others tried to copy bird flight-unsuccessfully

 Chinese invented kites about 200 - 500 B.C.

– 17th century A.D. kites carried soldiers aloft
– WWI – Kites were used to spy on enemies
– Buddhists Monks used them to “avert evil spirits and insure
rich harvests”
 Ancient Dreamers
 Leonardo da Vinci
 Engineer, Scientist,
Inventor and Artist

Italian artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci (1452-

1519) gathered data on the flight of birds and bats
To develop concepts of the propeller, the
parachute, and heavier-than-air craft.
 Leonardo da Vinci, 15th
Leonardo da Vinci
century Italian artist
– First recorded scientific
study of aeronautics

– Experimented to prove
feasibility of mechanical
flight

– Drew approximately 500

sketches and plans to
construct flying machines
 Other Da Vinci Inventions
 Bicycle  Anemometer – wind
 Armored “Car” speed
 Giant Crossbow  Helicopter – “Arial
 Boats Screw”
 Water Skis  More Accurate Clock
 Eight Barreled Machine Gun  Robotic Knight
 Scuba Gear
 Revolving Bridge
 The Quest for Flight

 By 17th Century, ancient ideas inspired scientific

theories and experiments
 1783 – Studies of the atmosphere and the
discovery of gases and properties led to balloon
experiments
– First balloon - silk balloon with a basket
– First passengers - a sheep, a rooster and a duck
– Rose up to 6000 feet, traveled for over 1 mile
 Glider flying increased the understanding of flight
forces, wing geometry & controls
 Understanding Flight
 How do Birds Fly???
– Wing Design
– Hollow Bones
– Large Lungs
– Air Sacs
– Strong Muscles
 Aerodynamics?
• Aero – means Air
• Dynamics – means Motion
• Aerodynamics – the study of air in motion

• Important Point: Air is “Viscous”

Uh, that means it’s Sticky
 Definition: Aerodynamics

Aerodynamics
A branch of fluid
mechanics that deals
with the motion of air
and other gaseous fluids
 Airfoil
 A structure with
curved surfaces
– designed to give
the best ratio of lift
to drag in flight
– The basic form of
the wings, fins, and
horizontal stabilizer
of most aircraft.
 Forces and Vectors

• A force may be thought of as a push or pull in a specific direction.

• A force is a vector quantity so a force has both a magnitude and a direction.
• When describing forces, we have to specify both the magnitude and the direction.
 Airplane Parts
Empennage
Vertical Stabilizer
(Tail)

Wing

Horizontal Stabilizer
Engine

Fuselage (Body)
 Bernoulli’s Principle
 As the velocity of a fluid increases the
pressure exerted by the fluid decreases.
 Air Flow Past a Wing
 The air speed is greater over the upper surface
and the air pressure is lower there and the wing
is lifted

 When the wing is angled upward, air deflected

from its lower surface provides additional lift.
 If the angle is too great, turbulence reduces lift
and increases drag.
 Powered Flight
Breakthrough
 Experiments showed basic ingredients of
flight are: sufficient power, lift , control
 Application of theories of lift and drag to
practical use in powered gliders
 Progress (and a conventional designs) came
with lighter materials and drag reduction
 Breakthrough
The Main Events
 Sir Hiram Maxim
– power, lift, control
 Wright brothers
 Glen Curtiss
– Improved designs,
promoted aviation

December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North

Carolina, Wilbur and Orville Wright made the world's
first successful powered, free, controlled, sustained
flights in a heavier-than-air craft.
World War I
The Main Events
 War speeds up
technology
development
 Airplane speed and
loads increased
 Large manufacturing
base developed
 After the War
 Veteran pilots kept interest alive
 Commercial aviation catches on
 Dramatic design advances
 Beginning of rocket flight
 Invention of the jet engine
Four Forces of Flight

 Lift
 Weight
 Thrust
 Drag

Source: NASA Glen Research Center

4 Forces of Flight
Weight

Center of Gravity (CG)

Drag

Newton’s 1st Law Applies

Thrust

Newton’s 3rd Law Applies

 Lift

Lift

Thrust Drag

Weight

Newton’s 3rd Law Applies

 Think About It
It’s “Tug-a-War”
The motion of the airplane through the air
depends on the relative strength and direction of
the forces we’ve discussed.

If the 4 forces are balanced, the aircraft cruises

at constant velocity and altitude.

If the forces are unbalanced, the aircraft

accelerates in the direction of the largest force.
 Lift
 Lift is an aerodynamic force
 Lift must exceed weight for flight
 Generated by motion of aircraft through
air
 Created by the effects of airflow past
wing
 The top of an airplane wing is curved,
so that air has to travel further to reach
the trailing end of the wing.
 Therefore, the air on the underside of
the plane is exerting more pressure,
causing the plane to lift.
 Weight
 Weight is not constant
– varies with passengers, cargo,
fuel load
– decreases as fuel is consumed
or payload off-loaded
 Direction is constant toward
earth’s center
 May be assumed concentrated
at the center of gravity
 Drag
 An aerodynamic force
 Drag is also called air resistance.
 the force that pulls the plane backward.
 Two broad drag classifications
– Parasite drag: drag created by airplane design
– Induced drag: by-product of lift generation
 Acts through the center of pressure
 Thrust
 Forward-acting force opposes drag
 Direction of thrust depends on design
 Propulsion systems produce thrust
 Equal to drag in straight, constant speed
flight
 Stability Basics
 Center of Gravity
 Center of Pressure
– Average location of pressure
– Changes with plane movement
 Longitudinal Stability
 Lateral Stability
 Directional Stability
Remember: Center of Gravity for People
 Definition: Aeronautics
 Aeronautics is the
design and
construction of
aircraft and
 The theory and
practice of aircraft
navigation
 Definition: Aerospace Engineering
 Aerospace
engineering is closely
allied to aeronautics
and aeronautical
engineering but
 Includes the study and
development of rocket
engines, satellites, and
spacecraft
What’s Next????