So we’ve done a few prior O Wow Moments here at the Children’s Museum of Houston on aerodynamics and planes like Blow Bernoulli Blow and Air Control. Basically, there are four forces that act on a plane:
- Thrust – this the the forward force on a plane, ususally by an engine or, with paper airplanes, a throw
- Lift – this is the upward force that allows a plane to fly, usually caused by the air under the wing pushing up on it due to the shape of the wing
- Drag – this is basically friction, the force opposing the thrust on the plane which will cause it to slow down
- Gravity – this is the force pulling a plane down
The key for a plane to fly is whether the thrust provided can generate sufficient lift to overcome gravity. So long as the design does that, it doesn’t matter what shape the wing takes.
Take ring wing gliders, for example. These gliders use hoops at either end to give them the lift they need to glide. So what kind of ring wing glider can you design?
Special thanks to our friends at Region’s Bank for making our O Wow Moments possible!
