What is the basic flight theory?

In order for an aircraft to rise into the air, a force must be created that equals or exceeds the force of gravity. This force is called lift. In heavier-than-air craft, lift is created by the flow of air over an airfoil. The shape of an airfoil causes air to flow faster on top than on bottom.



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An aircraft in straight and level flight is acted upon by four forces: lift, gravity, thrust and drag. The opposing forces balance each other: Lift equals gravity, and thrust equals drag. Thrust: The force that moves an airplane forward through the air. Thrust is created by a propeller or a jet engine.

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Techincally, there is only one way for the aircraft to remain hanging motionless in the air: if weight and lift cancel each other out perfectly, and at the same time thrust and drag cancel each other out too. But this is incredibly rare. To stay in the air and sustain its flight, an aircraft needs to be moving forward.

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