Airfoil Drag Stability 
Pilot Institute
JUNE 4, 2025
A tailless aircraft is a fixed-wing airplane without a horizontal stabilizing surface. With this type of aircraft, the functions of longitudinal stability and control are incorporated into the main wing. A tailless airplane is one where everything needed to fly, like lift, control, and stability, is built into the main wing.
Vintage Aviation News
APRIL 11, 2025
They flew a total of 313 missions, collecting invaluable data on pitch stability, lift, drag, and buffeting in transonic and supersonic flight. The jet- and rocket-powered aircraft exceeded expectations, performing better than predicted in high-speed wind tunnel testsparticularly in drag performance above Mach 0.85.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Vintage Aviation News
APRIL 1, 2025
Studying historical aircraft helps students understand the development of flight and learn from early engineers about problems of lift, propulsion, stability, and material constraints. Particularly in battle aerodynamics, drag reduction, and structural durability, early aircraft teach engineers today important insights.
Pilot Institute
JULY 11, 2025
When you reach around 36,000 feet (11,000 m) near the tropopause, the temperature stabilizes at around -56.5 °C. Lift, drag, and handling correlate well with IAS in the lower atmosphere. Making the wing relatively flat on top with a blunter leading edge and more curvature on the bottom gives you a supercritical airfoil.
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.
Vintage Aviation News
MAY 2, 2025
Langley was particularly focused on structural loads, while Ames concentrated on dynamic stability. The drag chute was used on landings to help brake the airplane’s speed. The B-47A represented a significant departure from earlier, more rigid aircraft designs. The B-47A fuselage was 106 feet 11 inches in length.
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. What does this mean?
Expert insights. Personalized for you.
Let's personalize your content