Essay on The Physics of Flight - 1582 Words

The Physics of Flight The trials and tribulations of flight have had their ups and downs over the course of history. From the many who failed to the few that conquered; the thought of flight has always astonished us all. The Wright brothers were the first to sustain flight and therefore are credited with the invention of the airplane. John Allen who wrote Aerodynamics: The Science of Air in Motion says, â€Å"The Wright Brothers were the supreme example of their time of men gifted with practical skill, theoretical knowledge and insight† (6). As we all know, the airplane has had thousands of designs since then, but for the most part the physics of flight has remained the same. As you can see, the failures that occurred while trying to†¦show more content†¦The shape of the surface of a wing is critical and extremely important to the plane’s ability to generate lift of the plane. Another important aspect of the wing is the airfoil. In Fundamentals of Flight, Richard Shevell states : â€Å"Airfoils are the cross-sectional shapes of wings as defined by the intersections with planes parallel to the free stream and noramal to the plane of the wing. First, the leading edge should be rounded†¦Second, the trailing edge must be sharp† (218). According to How an Airplane Flies found on Microsoft Encarta, â€Å"A faster moving fluid (such as air) will have lower pressure than a slower moving fluid. The air on the top on an airplane wing moves faster and is at a lower pressure than the air underneath the wing, and the lift generated by the wing can be modeled using equations derived from Bernoulli’s principle† (1). This equation represented in Bernoulli’s principle from Aerodynamics by John Allen (11) is configured: P +  ½ pV ² = constant, H (the total head) There are numerous equations for all aspects dealing with flight. How an Airplane Flies from Microsoft Encarta states, â€Å"An airplane’s wings push down on the air flowing past them, and in the reaction, the air pushes up on the wings. When an airplane is level or rising, the front edges of its wings ride higher thanShow MoreRelatedThe Physics Of Space Flight1387 Words   |  6 Pagesfirst attempts to depict a feasible propulsion, and is still considered the most realistic theory before 1900s. But space flight is no longer fiction, as Yuri Gagarin proved in 1961, and the technology allowing these advances is now even closer than ever, as the first manned flight for mars is scheduled for 2030. However, there are still major limitations to these kinds of space flight, and we still have to solve these problems before we attempt to leave Earth’s orbit. The first is Propulsion, as theRead More Lift and the Physics of Flight Essay1127 Words   |  5 PagesSince the begin ning of recorded history, humans have always had a fascination with flight. 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