Here's the short version: we're not sure why stuff
flies. I'm an intellectual interloper. I don't have an
aeronautics degree, just a high degree of curiosity.
That "we're not sure" answer, however, could stand
some expansion---at least in relation to paper air-
planes, which is what we'll look at here.
Paper airplanes are GLIDERS because they,
well, glide. In short, they have no motor. Let's take
a look at some of the dynamics or FORCES that
make paper airplanes glide. sahamhoki bandar qq online terpercaya
BASIC FORCES
Let's start with what everyone can agree on: The
most basic forces involved in paper airplane flight
are lift, weight, drag, and thrust. LIFT is the up-
ward force generated as a plane moves through the
air. WEIGHT is the force caused by the gravitational
pull of the earth, while DRAG is the resistance cre-
ated by a shape or material that impedes forward
motion. THRUST is the force supplied by a motor on
powered planes. With a glider, thrust is more com-
plex, since the only source of thrust is your initial
hrow. The energy from that throw is convert
into momentum, which will stretch over the whole
flight. It's a little like that first high drop from a
roller coaster: it has to supply enough momentum
to keep the coaster moving throughout the whole
trip. Good paper airplanes are designed to with-
stand a short, fast period of thrust (your throw).
Once that thrust is used up, the plane needs to bal-
ance the remaining forces of drag, lift, and weight
to stay in the air. sahamhoki poker domino qq online
Figure 2 on the next page illustrates these four
basic forces. Understanding the four basic forces is
a useful way to think about paper airplane fight.
By defining aircraft design as the best way to bal-
ance these forces, thinking about and solving flight
problems becomes easier.
Now that we understand the four forces act-
ing upon an aircraft, let's take a look at the basic
anatomy of a plane. Figure 1 illustrates the vari-
ous parts of a powered plane.
If we begin to move elements around, we can
easily predict the outcome. For instance, if we
move the main wing very far to the rear but leave
the motor way out front (as in Figure 3), the center
of gravity is now very far in front of the center of
lift. A plane configured like this would crash.
However, if we move the motor to the rear
along with the wing, and add a horizontal stabilizer
to the front, balance is restored.
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