Pilot Institute

JUNE 4, 2025

This setup makes the wing less efficient overall, but it can reduce drag, weight, and cost compared to using a separate tail. High aspect ratio wings reduce drag and improve performance during climb or slow flight. On the flipside, a decrease in aspect ratio will result in higher drag. This type of design is a reflex airfoil.

Tail 52

Tail Airplanes Weight-Shift-Control Drag 52

Pilot Institute

MARCH 13, 2025

Airfoils use this principle, with faster airflow over the top creating lower pressure. Wing Camber Wing camber defines how much more curved the wings upper surface is compared to the lower surface. Engineers use Bernoullis principle to shape airfoils to optimize the pressure difference needed for efficient lift generation.

Pilot 52

Pilot Lift Camber Airfoil 52

Simple Flying

JUNE 14, 2025

Hinged panels at the wing’s trailing and leading edges transform a sleek airfoil into a low-speed lift sail. Increasing camber, flaps propel an airliner to lift off at lower speeds, trading a little drag for a lot of lift. One of the most influential cockpit levers on a jet’s take-off is the flap handle.

Camber 59

Camber Airfoil Lift Drag 59

Pilot Institute

APRIL 12, 2025

They are designed with a special shape called an airfoil, which encourages passing air to turn and deflect downward. One is the upper wing surfaces curvature compared to the lower surface, called wing camber. High camber generally promotes more airflow deflection, thanks to something called Bernoullis Principle.

Lift 52

Lift Torque Thrust Aileron 52