Fly With Me: Aerodynamics & The Four Elements of Flight- Free Lesson

Aerodynamics is the study of how air moves and how it reacts to objects moving through it.  

In addition to aerodynamics, there are forces that push and pull on an airplane as it is in the air. Engineers have to look at and understand these forces to be able to design planes that will fly well.

Thrust is the force used to make you move forward. When you run, your legs and feet move to make you move forward, to push you forward. When you throw a paper airplane, your arm creates the thrust/force to push the plane. In an airplane, the engine produces the force to move the plane forward.

Lift is another force engineers have to understand. (This one requires a good understanding of aerodynamics!) Wings have to be designed to allow air to flow over and under in just the right way. As the air rushes around the wing, the different pressures of the air over and under the wing create lift. Lift is the force that actually helps get the plane up off the ground.

Gravity is the force that pulls you and everything else toward the earth. If you throw a ball in the air, it comes back down because it is pulled by gravity.

Drag is the force slowing you down as you push against the air in front of you. (Newton’s Laws of Motion state that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. As you push against the air, the air is pushing back against you.)

When engineers understand these forces, they can design planes that create enough lift to overcome the power of the gravity force and enough thrust to overcome the drag. When that happens, flight is achieved!

Now it's your turn to experiment with flight by making your own paper airplane and testing it out. You can find directions for how to make a basic paper airplane here. Have fun flying! 

Students will learn more about aerodynamics and the four forces of flight: lift, weight, thrust and drag. They will then fold a paper airplane and try some test flights while observing the forces of flight in action. 

2 - 8.5x11 sheets of paper for each student (one for opener activity, one for making a paper airplane).

Resource: How to Make a Paper Airplane: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Paper-Airplane

As you run around the yard, you can feel air pushing against your face and arms. If you throw a piece of paper (flat, not crumpled up) into the air, it will fly and fall differently than if you throw the same piece of paper after you crumple it into a ball. Understanding how air moves and how it reacts to objects moving through it is important in designing airplanes. Try taking a flat piece of paper and letting it fall. Now crumple up that same piece of paper into a ball and watch it fall. Discuss the similarities and differences.

After flying your paper airplane, did you notice anything that affected any of the forces of flight? A bent nose? A damaged wing? Share and discuss.

Review these vocabulary words and definitions:

     
Thrust is a force that moves an aircraft in the direction of the motion. It is created with a propeller, jet engine, or rocket. Air is pulled in and then pushed out in an opposite direction. One example is a household fan.

     
Drag is the force that acts opposite to the direction of motion. It tends to slow an object. Drag is caused by friction and differences in air pressure. An example is putting your hand out of a moving car window and feeling it pull back.

     
Weight is the force caused by gravity.

     
Lift is the force that holds an airplane in the air. The wings create most of the lift used by airplanes.

For the youngest students, the teacher can demonstrate how to fold the paper airplane while they watch. Each student can then have the opportunity to fly a pre-made plane in small groups instead of each student making their own plane.