Book 23, Question 1
What Are the Four Forces of Flight?
Every flying thing is balanced by four forces. Lift, weight, thrust, and drag all push and pull at once. Birds, bees, and kites follow the same four rules!
More fun facts
- The wings are the main lifting surfaces that hold a plane up.
- Lift pushes the plane up, and weight pulls it down.
- Thrust pushes the plane forward, and drag holds it back.
- Thrust comes from the engine and propeller.
- In steady level flight, the forces balance out, but that doesn't mean all four are equal.
- If a pilot cuts engine power in level flight, thrust drops and the plane slows down.
Sources: faa.gov
Questions kids ask
What is a plane's weight made of?
It's the plane itself plus the crew, the fuel and the cargo or bags.