Remove Drag Remove Horizontal Stabilizer Remove Lift
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Tailless Aircraft: How Airplanes Fly Without a Tail

Pilot Institute

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.

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Flight Test Files: The Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket – Chasing Mach 2

Vintage Aviation News

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.

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What are the Key Parts of a Plane?

WayMan

Wings: The Source of Lift The wings are what make fixed-wing flight possible. As air moves over the curved top surface of the wing and the flatter bottom, lift is generated, allowing the plane to rise. Regardless of placement, the principle remains the same: wings generate the lift that makes flight possible.

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Exploring the Essential Sections of an Aircraft: A Comprehensive Guide

Pilot's Life Blog

Generate Lift With Airplane Wings One of the most valuable airplane parts that connect to the fuselage is the wings. The wings work with other sections of an aircraft to increase lift and adjust stalling speed. Wing flaps: Located on the trailing edges of the wings, the flaps are movable surfaces that help overcome drag.

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The Hazards of Aircraft Icing: Explained

Pilot Institute

And ice doesn’t just make things slippery, it messes with the airflow over the wings, cuts down on lift, and ramps up drag. This leads to a serious loss of lift and an increase in drag. With thicker accumulations and irregular shapes, drag can get up to two times worse!

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What Is a Dutch Roll, and Is It Dangerous?

Pilot Institute

The outer wing generates more lift than the inner wing since it’s temporarily moving faster. Extra lift makes the wing rise. Increased lift on the raised wing immediately creates more induced drag. What’s induced drag? The higher drag on the raised wing reduces its speed relative to the lower wing.

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Power-on Stall: How to Recover

Pilot Institute

This creates boundary layer separation, resulting in a loss of lift. The turbulent air hits the horizontal stabilizer, which causes a vibration that can be felt throughout the aircraft. While takeoff flaps improve performance, they also add unwanted drag. What Is a Power-on Stall? You’ve got this.