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The physics of airplane flight


(airplane) flight A common misconception about wings is that they need to have the classic airfoil shape to work. In reality, just about any surface can create lift and function as a wing.

You will notice that past a certain angle, the lift starts to decrease, and is replaced by a lot of drag, a force trying to slow down the wing. Pitch stability is unique, because unlike in roll and yaw, the plane has to maintain a positive angle of attack to keep flying. The air is now coming from above, and plane pitches up to maintain a constant angle of attack, leading to an even faster climb, until it exchanges all the extra speed for altitude.

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