Flight Training Central

MAY 7, 2024

The term 'angle of attack' is defined as the angle between the airplane's longitudinal axis and that of the air striking the airfoil. Air traveling faster over the curved upper surface of an airfoil causes lower pressure on the top surface. The four forces acting on an airplane in flight are lift, weight, thrust, and drag.

Gross Weight 98

Gross Weight Longitudinal Axis Airfoil Lift 98

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 7, 2024

The unique cylindrical design of the fuselage allowed for a streamlined profile and reduced drag, increasing the overall efficiency. During these years, he concluded that the inner surface of the venturi tube needed an airfoil shape to achieve the greatest efficiency. The Stipa-Caproni in flight.

Airfoil 98

Airfoil Rudder Drag Stability 98

Plane and Pilot

APRIL 14, 2025

The NXT was designed using computer-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD), NASA-derived airfoils, and was tested in the Lockheed wind tunnel to refine the aerodynamics. However, like any overnight success story, the actual journey to the NXT began in the early 1990s with the original Nemesis.

Airfoil 78

Airfoil Final Approach Drag Tail 78

Vintage Aviation News

MAY 2, 2025

The drag chute was used on landings to help brake the airplane’s speed. Photo taken on July 14, 1954 From May 1953 until 1957, NACA 150 flew numerous test missions at Edwards, contributing vital data to the evolving understanding of aircraft dynamics. Boeing B-47A Stratojet NACA 150 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

Gross Weight 56

Gross Weight Airfoil Drag Stability 56

Learn to Fly

JULY 11, 2024

An angle of attack (AOA) indicator can determine the aerodynamic health of the airfoil (wing). More simply, an AOA indicator displays the margin between the current AOA of the airfoil, and the AOA at which the airfoil will stall (critical AOA), providing the pilot with a visual and sometimes audible indication.

Airfoil 40

Airfoil Center of Gravity Density Altitude Drag 40

Fear of Landing

MARCH 22, 2024

One of the most revolutionary was the “area rule,” a concept that helped aircraft designers avoid the disruption in airflow and resulting drag caused by the attachment of the wings to the fuselage. The resulting “supercritical airfoil” shape, when integrated with the aircraft wing, significantly improves the aircraft’s cruise efficiency.

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Wind Shear Airfoil Drag Airline 52

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 1, 2024

And ice doesn’t just make things slippery, it messes with the airflow over the wings, cuts down on lift, and ramps up drag. Remember that wings, propeller blades, and tail surfaces are airfoil-shaped. Ice build-up on the airframe changes the airflow pattern around these airfoils.

Pitot Tube 52

Pitot Tube Drag Lift Airfoil 52

Pilot Institute

APRIL 12, 2025

They are designed with a special shape called an airfoil, which encourages passing air to turn and deflect downward. This is why the typical airfoil shape has a curved top and a flat bottom, especially in slower-speed general aviation aircraft. Newtons Third Law tells us that we need to push air downward to produce an upward force.

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Lift Torque Thrust Aileron 52

Pilot Institute

JUNE 12, 2025

As you reach high speeds, especially near or above the speed of sound, you can then sweep the wings back to reduce drag. They delay the formation of shock waves that cause wave drag. But when you’re doing high-speed dashes, sweeping the wings back will reduce drag. High-Speed Efficiency But the advantages don’t just stop there.

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Weight-Shift-Control Drag Lift Payload 52

Vintage Aviation News

DECEMBER 5, 2024

Additionally, the Shiun incorporated a laminar flow airfoil to reduce drag. In order to minimize the effects of torque on the aircraft, the Shiun was equipped with the MK4D variant of the Kasei engine, which was modified to accept contra-rotating two-bladed propellers.

Drag 52

Drag Stability Airfoil Torque 52

Air Facts

JULY 22, 2024

The Four Forces of Flight (Lift, Thrust, Drag & Gravity) obey Newton’s Three Laws of Motion. irplane controls work per the Lever Principle, and a wing’s airfoil shape increases lift via the Bernouilli Principle and Coanda Effect. Like Moses and the Ten Commandments, aviation is limited by 10 laws of physics and chemistry.

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Lift Knot Airfoil Airplanes 98

Flying Magazine

MAY 6, 2025

It retained the classic, high-lift Clark Y airfoil, but the span of its four-position semi-Fowler flap span was extended. The tailwheel can be kept on the ground if desired for soft or rough fields, but the extra drag prolongs the takeoff roll slightly. In 2005, a new wing became standard. It is not plain vanilla.

Gross Weight 82

Gross Weight Horizontal Stabilizer Airplanes Rudder 82

Plane and Pilot

DECEMBER 16, 2024

For one thing, the F2s fuselage hangs from a completely new wing with two distinct airfoil shapes. An obvious discontinuity leads to a thinner airfoil inboard. You do have to remember that its a slick airplane with a fixed-pitch prop, so you dont have much more drag to play with besides flaps.

Rudder 98

Rudder Airplanes Aileron Crosswind 98

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 3, 2024

Winging It Aside from the aforementioned desire for a greater aspect ratio for reduced drag, the one-piece Gweduck wing was developed for minimal weight, ease of construction and benign handling. Keeping drag corralled was emphasized as the Gweduck mission is foremost long-distance cruising.

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Airplanes Rudder Knot Aileron 79

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 52

Camber Airfoil Lift Drag 52