The science of flight

The science of flight

The science of flight

For millennia, man looked to the skies, watching the flight of birds with envy. Only in the last 100 years, though, has man truly mastered the miracle of flight. With a profound knowledge of the physics of flight, aeronautical engineers continue making incredible advances and overcoming engineering problems leading to faster, safer jet aircraft designs for the 21st century.

Two pairs of opposing aerodynamic forces make flight possible. The first pair of forces are drag and thrust. Drag is the effect of air preventing forward movement by creating resistance. Air is composed of molecules of various gases; it has weight and density, causing frictional forces that slow forward movement. Aeroplanes are designed to be sleek and aerodynamic, limiting the drag forces acting on the plane when it is in motion. Landing gear is pulled up into the fuselage when the private plane is in flight to prevent additional drag. Powerful jet engines provide the thrust, creating forward movement, and opposing the drag force. When cruising, these forces are balanced, with thrust equalling drag. While taxiing down the runway, taking off, and climbing to cruising altitude, thrust must be greater than drag. The opposite is true during descent and landing.

The development of pressurised cabins allows jet aircraft to fly at altitudes having less air density, lowering the amount of drag on the plane. Imagine the difference between jogging on a pavement and through the water on a beach. The water is much denser than air and there is greater drag, making forward movement vastly more difficult. Getting the plane to an altitude where the density of the air is lower makes greater speed possible. Most commercial jets cruise at an altitude of 33,000 feet above sea level; the air at this altitude is so thin that without pressurised cabins, crew and passengers would not get sufficient oxygen.

The second pair of opposing aerodynamic forces are lift and gravity. Gravity acts to draw all matter towards the centre of the earth. Overcoming this powerful yet unseen force has intrigued man for centuries and provided one of the major obstacles to the development of flight. During the 15th century, an early design for a flying machine was envisaged that was lighter than air, making it behave buoyantly, floating in air as a cork floats on water. The machine was never built, and it was almost 300 years before the Wright brothers successfully overcame the force of gravity in sustained, powered flight.

Lift creates upward movement, opposing gravity. The shape of a bird's wing and the wing of a private plane provide lift. The aerofoil design has a curved upper surface that forces air to pass more swiftly over the top of the wing than along the bottom. This creates a lower pressure along the upper side of the wing, generating lift. The area and shape of the wing determine the amount of lift produced. Lift is greater in denser air, as there are more air molecules flowing over the wing.

During straight, level cruising, all four forces are in perfect balance, making powered flight possible. The mechanics of flight are marvels of technological ingenuity; man has truly mastered flight and with scientific breakthroughs occurring all the time, flights are getting smoother for longer, making private jet flight more luxurious than ever!

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