Lift and Drag

Review

1. Name the 4 forces acting on an aircraft.

2. What are Newtons 3 laws?

3. Is an aircraft considered to be in a state of

equilibrium when it is on the ground.
 6.05 Lift & Drag
MTPs:
Bernoullis Principle- how lift is created
Airfoil terms
Angle of attack versus lift
Angle of Incidence
Types of airfoils
Types of Drag
Wingtip Vortices
Streamlining
 Bernoullis Principle
Bernoullis Principle
An increase in the speed of a fluid occurs
simultaneously with a decrease in pressure or
a decrease in the fluid's potential energy.
 Bernoullis Principle

Speed Pressure

Speed Pressure
 Bernoullis Principle
Airfoils are shaped in a way to manipulate air
pressure based on Bernoullis principle.
Air moves faster over the upper surface of the wing,
decreasing pressure (or increasing suction)
Air moves slower over the lower surface of the wing
and creates a higher pressure, or pushing force.
 Airfoil Terms
Terms related to airfoils
Relative Airflow
Angle of Attack
Centre of Pressure
 Relative Airflow

The direction of the airflow with respect to the wing.

It is created by the movement of the airplane as well as the
movement of air.
Relative airflow is usually opposite to the flight path.
Relative airflow itself is not related to lift
 Angle of Attack

The angle at which the airfoil meets the

relative airflow
 Centre of Pressure
Is the average of the pressure on an airfoil
Sum of the distributed pressures on the airfoil acting
through a single straight line
Moves forward on an airfoil as the angle of attack is
increased
Centre of Pressure
 A of A versus Lift
Now we know how we get lift but how much can we get?

One factor affecting lift is Angle of Attack

As the angle of attack increases, what happens to lift?

Lift Increases

BUT As the angle of attack increases, what

happens to drag?

Drag Increases
 A of A versus Lift

Lift/
Drag

Angle of
Attack
 Angle of Incidence
The angle of incidence is the angle between the
mean aerodynamic chord of the wing and the
longitudinal axis of the aircraft
The angle of incidence impacts forward visibility,
take-off and landing characteristics, and drag in
level flight
 Types of Airfoils
Airfoil
A two-dimensional surface designed to obtain a reaction from
the air through which it moves.
The shape of an airfoil will affect how air flows over the wing

Airfoil 2D vs. Wing 3D

 Drag
Is the resistance an airplane experiences in
moving forward through the air
 Types of Drag
There are 2 main types of Drag:

1. Parasite Drag This drag is further broken

down
Form drag
Skin Friction

2. Induced Drag
 Parasite Drag
Drag of all those parts the airplane which
DO NOT contribute to lift
This drag is hard to eliminate but it can be
minimized
Form drag is caused by the shape of the
aircraft
Landing gear
Antennas
Struts
Wing tip fuel tanks
 Parasite Drag
Skin Friction
The tendency of air
flowing over the body
to cling to its surface

What causes it to
resist motion?
Ice on the wings
Dirt build up
 Induced Drag
Caused by those parts of an airplane which
are active in producing lift
Cannot be eliminated

Lift Drag
 Induced Drag
Induced drag can be reduced with a high
aspect ratio
 Wing Tip Vortices
Over the top of the wing the
airflow goes inward Due to the
Under the bottom of the wing pressure
the airflow moves outward changes

This creates a swirling motion off the wing tip

 Streamlining
The less drag you have
Flying a glider: the further you can
fly
Flying an airplane: the less fuel you
use

Therefore streamlining is important

A design device by which a body is
shaped to minimize drag
Wingtip Vortices
 Types of Airfoils
What are some functions
of airfoils?
Create lift
Create thrust
Attachment point for the
control surfaces (including
flaps, slots, slats, etc)
House fuel tanks and
instrument components
Stability
 Confirmation
1. Label where the high pressure and low pressure are:

2. Fill in the blanks

__________________: The angle at which the airfoil meets the
relative airflow
__________________: airflow with respect to the wing
__________________:the average of the pressure on an airfoil
 Confirmation

3. Lift acts 90o to the ________________.

4. Bernoullis principle states that:

An ____________ (increase/decrease) in the speed of a fluid occurs
simultaneously with a _____________________
(increase/decrease) in pressure or a _______________
(increase/decrease) in the fluid's potential energy

5. As lift increases, drag _______________.

 Confirmation
1. Fill in the diagram

2. Is it possible to eliminate induced drag? Why

or why not?