Intro

The important thing in understanding how planes fly is knowing about forces. A force is a push or a pull on an object. You use a force when you kick or throw or kick a ball, or even when you walk. When you walk you push backward on the floor and the resistance from the floor pushes you forward. You push, and the floor pushes back by resisting you. Forces always work like this - in pairs, pushing or pulling in opposite directions.

Several forces act on aeroplanes when they fly. The four main ones are thrust, drag, weight and lift. They work in pairs - thrust and drag, weight and lift. To find out how, read on…