3 axis microlights: how they fly

This section is to introduce you to the forces acting on the aircraft in flight.
 

For a moment, think of an airplane moving from left to right and the flow of air moving from right to left.  The weight or force due to gravity pulls down on the plane opposing the lift created by air flowing over the wing. Thrust is generated by the propeller and opposes drag caused by air resistance to the airplane.  During take off, thrust must be greater than drag and lift must be greater than weight so that the airplane can become airborne.

For landing thrust must be less than drag, and lift must be less than weight.

the four forces acting on an aeroplane


An airplane in flight is the centre of a continuous tug of war between four forces: lift, gravity force or weight, thrust, and drag. Lift and Drag are considered aerodynamic forces because they exist due to the movement of the aircraft through the air.  The weight pulls down on the plane opposing the lift created by air flowing over the wing. Thrust is generated by the propeller and opposes drag caused by air resistance to the frontal area of the airplane. During take off, thrust must overcome drag and lift must overcome the weight before the airplane can become airborne. In level flight at constant speed, thrust exactly equals drag and lift exactly equals the weight or gravity force. For landings thrust must be reduced below the level of drag and lift below the level of the gravity force or weight.

Thrust

Thrust is a force created by a power source which gives an airplane forward motion. It can either "pull" or "push" an airplane forward. Thrust is that force which overcomes drag. Conventional airplanes utilize engines as well as propellers to obtain thrust.

Drag

Drag is the force which delays or slows the forward movement of an airplane through the air when the airflow direction is opposite to the direction of motion of the airplane. It is the friction of the air as it meets and passes over and about an airplane and its components. The more surface area exposed to rushing air, the greater the drag. An airplane's streamlined shape helps it pass through the air more easily.

Lift is produced by a lower pressure created on the upper surface of an airplane's wing compared to the pressure on the wing's lower surface, causing the wing to be "lifted" upward. The special shape of the airplane wing (airfoil) is designed so that air flowing over it will have to travel a greater distance faster, resulting in a lower pressure area (see illustration) thus lifting the wing upward. Lift is that force which opposes the force of gravity (or weight).

Many believe that this explanation is incorrect because flat wings (such as seen on balsa wood airplanes, paper planes and others) also have managed to create lift.

Lift is a partial vacuum created above the surface of an airplane's wing causing the wing to be "lifted" upward. The special shape of the airplane wing (air foil) is designed so that air flowing over it will have to travel a greater distance - faster - resulting in a low pressure area ( see illustration) thus lifting the wing upward. Lift is that force which opposes gravity.


wing shape (aerofoil)

angle of attack

The angle of attack is the angle that the wing presents to oncoming air, and it controls the thickness of the slice of air the wing is cutting off. Because it controls the slice, the angle of attack also controls the amount of lift that the wing generates (although it is not the only factor).


Zero angle of attack


Shallow angle of attack


steep angle of attack