Basic Aerodynamics Of Flight

“Aerodynamics is not a black art revealed only to a chosen few by some great god of flight. It can be understood by almost anyone, if properly explained. It can become interesting or even downright fascinating.” (Smith, 1992, p. xiii) Not only can aerodynamics become interesting, it can become and incredibly useful tool for making decisions. Aerodynamics can get complicated and involved, but so can mathematics. I have never heard somebody refuse to learn addition and subtraction simply because advanced differential calculus was too complicated. Likewise, the minutia of aerodynamics do not need to be understood in order for the science to be a useful tool. The four forces of flight, based on laws discovered by scientists, are perhaps the most basic building blocks of aerodynamics in aviation. (Kershner, 2003) Understanding these principles and how they interact with each other can help those in the aviation field make decisions and perform their jobs.

Basic Aerodynamics of Flight

The study of aerodynamics is about how air moves and the forces it creates on an object as it moves through the air. (Willits, 2007) Understanding the aerodynamic forces at work on any object can help to explain the actions of the object. The entire airplane is an object acted on by the air, therefore aerodynamics is critical. Airplanes fly because of their ability to use aerodynamics to their advantage. It is these forces that enable an airplane it to leave the ground and sustain flight. The basics of flight can be explained with the four forces acting on an airplane: lift, weight, thrust, and drag.

The four forces interact with each other and contribute the stability, maneuverability, and controllability of an aircraft. Lift is produced by the dynamic...

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...ho understands the relationship between lift and drag will potentially be in a better position to help an aircraft in an emergency situation.

Conclusion

Almost every decision involving an aircraft is either going to be affected by the four forces of flight, or alter those forces in some manner. These forces are governed by laws of nature, but can be manipulated to create conditions beneficial to a particular mission. Understanding these forces will enable the managers, laborers, pilots, and crew to make the necessary decisions to get the performance needed from their aircraft. This understanding does not always happen, and is often passed down erroneously from generation to generation. (Smith, 1992) A basic accurate knowledge of how an airplane interacts with the air around it will empower those who have it to make well informed decisions as aviation professionals.