Uplifting structures: the denticles are inspired by the shortfin mako shark. (Courtesy: James Weaver/Harvard University) A shark skin-inspired design can dramatically improve the lift of an aerofoil, ...

Airplanes achieve flight through the interplay of four fundamental forces: lift, thrust, drag, and gravity. Wings generate lift due to air pressure differences, while engines provide thrust to ...

When the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, made their historic first flight in 1903, they revolutionized how humans would traverse the world. Their biplane, "The Flyer," stayed in the air for only ...

While the engineering behind modern aircraft is incredibly complicated, the basic concepts behind getting airborne is simpler than you might think. “So the fundamentals, the physics of flight, deal ...

Without the aerodynamic forces of lift and drag, aircraft would be unable to fly, wind turbines would not spin, and countless other machines that we depend on every day would not work. What, exactly, ...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Modern aircraft manufacturers don't have much on Orville and Wilbur. Today's jet airplanes use ...

When an airplane flies, the wings are designed to provide enough lift to overcome the airplane’s weight, so the plane doesn’t ...

On today’s episode of “For Science!” we explore the concepts of Thrust, Lift, and Drag by conducting the ring airplane experiment. Cut the paper into 1 inch strips. Using two strips, tape them ...