If an airplane has wings, why does it need winglets? Airplane winglets are the “baby wings” placed at an angle at the end of airplane wing. Most modern passenger jets have winglets. They became a staple of the aircraft industry the 1980’s when concern about oil prices pushed increased research into their feasibility. Buoyed by …
As our understanding of lift and basic aeronautical principals has improved and changed, so has the design of airplane wings. Wing design is an incredibly important aspect of aeronautical engineering. Now that computer software and advanced wind tunnel technology are aiding in the development of wing design, we are better able to understand how to …
Understanding the basic aerodynamics of how an airplane’s control surfaces work is a major part of safely commanding it both on the ground and in the air. When you have a good grasp of these principles, both abstractly as well as while acting as pilot in command, you are better equipped to make sound decisions …
When someone says the word “airplane,” a lot of different visuals might come to mind—the 1903 Wright Flyer (the world’s first airplane), a World War II fighter, or a huge passenger jet with a modern cockpit. The fantastic part about aviation is that all of these images apply. Since it landed on a runway like …