REPUBLIC OF BENIN

*_*_*_*_*_*_*

MINISTRY OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND SCIENTIFIC RES

EARCH
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
UNIVERSITY OF ABOMEY-CALAVI
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
SCHOOL OF POLYTECHNIC OF ABOMEY-CALAVI
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL AND ENERGY ENGINEERING
Field : Mechanical and Energy Engineering
Level : 3rd year

AEROSPACE ENGENEERING

SUBJECT : Scientific English

Carried out by : Under the supervision of :

ASSOUDO Abdel Dawy Dr Bienvenu OLORY

Academic year : 2024-2025

Principles of Flight
Have you ever wondered about the science behind flight? The basic principles of flight, which
include many elementary physics concepts, can be easily observed in the structure of an
airplane. There are four main forces involved in flight. Lift is caused by the variation in air
pressure when air flows under and over an airplane's wings. It is opposed by weight, or the
force of gravity, pulling downward. Thrust is caused by the action of the propellers moving
the plane forward. Opposed to that is drag, caused by air resistance. If lift is more than weight,
the plane will rise. If thrust is more than drag, the plane will slowly accelerate.

Airplane wings are designed to take advantage of lift. They are shaped so that air has to travel
farther over the top of the wing than underneath it. The reason for this is explained in
Bernoulli's Principle, which states that an increase in the velocity (speed) of air or any fluid
results in a decrease in pressure. When the air has to travel farther over the top of the airplane
wing, it must also travel faster, which results in lower pressure. The shorter distance under the
wings results in higher pressure, causing the airplane to move upward.

You can demonstrate Bernoulli's Principle with a piece of notebook paper. Fold the paper in
half the short way, so that you have a tent shape. Now, set the tent on a table and blow very
carefully (slow and firm) through one of the open ends. The sides of the tent will stick
together but the tent won't collapse. This occurs because the velocity of your breath is more
than that of the air outside of the tent, causing lower pressure. The air outside the tent has
higher pressure and pushes the sides of the tent inward.

Other major considerations in airplane design are the three axes of motion: pitch, roll, and
yaw. Pitch is the up or down movement of an airplane's nose. Airplanes are built with
horizontal stabilizers in the rear to control the pitch. These stabilizers have hinged sections
called elevators. The pilot can change the position of the elevator to raise or lower the nose of
the airplane. Roll, the second axis of motion, is the rolling of an airplane from side to side,
which causes the wings to go up or down. The hinged sections at the rear of each wing, called
ailerons, help control the roll. The ailerons work in opposition: if one goes up, the other goes
down. The third axis of motion, yaw, is the motion of an airplane's nose from side to side. The
vertical stabilizer and the rudder in the tail are used to control the yaw.
Key words and description:

1. Lift

Lift is the upward force that helps an airplane rise into the air. It happens because of the way
air moves around the wings. The air above the wing moves faster, creating lower pressure,
while the air below moves slower, creating higher pressure. This difference in pressure pushes
the airplane upward.

2. Weight (Gravity)

Weight is the force that pulls the airplane down due to gravity. It is always acting in the
downward direction, opposite to lift. If the lift is greater than the weight, the airplane will go
up. If the weight is greater, the airplane will go down.

3. Thrust

Thrust is the forward force that moves the airplane through the air. It is created by engines or
propellers. If thrust is stronger than the opposing force (drag), the airplane will accelerate and
move forward.

4. Drag (Air Resistance)

Drag is the force that slows down the airplane as it moves through the air. It is caused by air
resistance, which pushes against the plane. If drag is stronger than thrust, the airplane will
slow down.

5. Bernoulli’s Principle

Bernoulli’s Principle explains how faster-moving air creates lower pressure. This principle is
important for how wings create lift. Since air moves faster over the curved top of a wing and
slower under the wing, the difference in pressure lifts the plane into the air.
Comments:

The text explains the fundamental principles of flight, which are essential for understanding
how airplanes work. The four main forces involved are lift, weight, thrust, and drag. Lift is the
force that allows an airplane to rise into the air. It’s created by the shape of the wings, which
are designed to make air move faster over the top surface, creating lower pressure. The air
moving slower underneath the wing creates higher pressure, and this difference pushes the
airplane upward. This effect is based on Bernoulli’s Principle, which says that faster-moving
air has lower pressure. Additionally, Newton’s Third Law also plays a role: when the wing
pushes air downward, an equal force pushes the airplane upward. For the airplane to rise, lift
must be stronger than weight (the downward force of gravity).

In addition to lift and weight, the airplane needs thrust to move forward. Thrust is produced
by the engines or propellers, which push the airplane forward. This must overcome drag,
which is the resistance created by air pushing against the airplane as it moves. If the engines
produce more thrust than drag, the airplane will accelerate. The balance between these forces
determines the airplane’s ability to take off, stay in the air, and land safely.

The text also discusses how airplanes move in three directions: pitch, roll, and yaw. Pitch
controls the up-and-down movement of the airplane’s nose. It is managed by the elevators,
which are movable parts on the back of the airplane’s horizontal stabilizer. When the elevators
move up, the nose goes up, and the plane climbs; when they move down, the nose goes down,
and the plane descends. Roll refers to the side-to-side tilting of the airplane. This is controlled
by ailerons, which are small hinged flaps on the wings. When one aileron goes up and the
other goes down, the airplane tilts to one side, causing it to roll. Yaw is the side-to-side
movement of the airplane’s nose, controlled by the rudder at the tail of the plane. By moving
the rudder, the pilot can turn the airplane left or right.Understanding these principles is
essential for designing airplanes that are stable, efficient, and easy to control. Engineers use
these concepts to ensure that airplanes can lift off, stay in the air, and land safely while pilots
rely on them to maneuver the aircraft. By balancing the forces of lift, weight, thrust, and drag,
and using the control surfaces to manage pitch, roll, and yaw, an airplane can fly smoothly
and safely.