The Basic Principles of Aerodynamics
So you have a POWERUP 4.0 and you fly it around and fancy yourself a pilot. Cool, But ever wonder why paper planes actually fly? We do, a lot. It probably consumes about half of our thoughts here at the POWERUP. But never mind that, we broke down the 4 pillars of aerodynamics, to give a quick and dirty explanation for why things don't just crash after half a second. Paper planes (and all flying things for that matter) fly because of a balance between four external forces: weight, lift, drag and thrust.
Weight refers to the force of gravity pulling the plane down.
Lift is what you need to counter the plane’s weight. High pressure under the wing and low pressure above it is what generate a force that pulls up.
Thrust is the forward momentum needed to travel. The thrust on planes is generated by an engine and propeller. The propeller is also a wing and its rotations also generate lift.
And finally, the drag is the part or surface of the plane providing resistance and slowing down the plane.
And now you know aerodynamics 101, which basically makes you an honorary pilot... way to go!
Feel free to ask questions in the comments and we’ll have our experienced pilots answer them.
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