How Airplanes Stay Up

An airplane weighs thousands of pounds, yet it soars through the sky. Four forces work on an airplane in flight. Thrust from the engines pushes it forward. Drag slows it down. Gravity pulls it down. And lift from the wings pushes it up. When lift is greater than gravity, the plane flies.

How Wings Create Lift

Airplane wings are curved on top and flatter on the bottom. As the plane moves forward, air flows over and under the wing. The air moves faster over the curved top. Faster-moving air has lower pressure. The higher pressure under the wing pushes the wing upward. This upward push is lift.

Controlling the Plane

Pilots control the plane using movable parts on the wings and tail. Ailerons on the wings help the plane turn left and right. Elevators on the tail make the nose go up or down. The rudder on the tail helps the plane steer. By adjusting these parts, pilots can make the airplane go wherever they need.

Fun Facts

• The Wright brothers made the first powered airplane flight in 1903. It lasted only 12 seconds.
• A Boeing 747 has a wingspan of about 211 feet, longer than the Wright brothers' first flight distance.
• At cruising altitude, the outside temperature is about minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Did You Know?

Birds figured out flight millions of years before humans. Engineers have studied bird wings carefully to design better airplane wings. Some new airplane wing designs even bend at the tips, just like bird feathers!