Mark Drella

That will make the pressure on the bottom of your hand larger than on top. And that resulting pressure difference imbalance times the area of your hand is the lift acting on your hand. Exactly the same thing happens with an airplane.

That will make the pressure on the bottom of your hand larger than on top. And that resulting pressure difference imbalance times the area of your hand is the lift acting on your hand. Exactly the same thing happens with an airplane.

Yeah, yeah. An airplane is far more subtle because the nose is just barely higher up. But it's the same idea, yes.

Yeah, yeah. An airplane is far more subtle because the nose is just barely higher up. But it's the same idea, yes.

Yeah, yeah. An airplane is far more subtle because the nose is just barely higher up. But it's the same idea, yes.

Yeah, so basically the air pushes on the wing, and in the process, the wing also pushes on the air. This is Newton's third law. When two things push against each other, it's never one way. So for example, when the air pushes up on the airplane, the airplane pushes the air down slightly as a result. So what happens is, in practice, if you look at the overall picture...

Yeah, so basically the air pushes on the wing, and in the process, the wing also pushes on the air. This is Newton's third law. When two things push against each other, it's never one way. So for example, when the air pushes up on the airplane, the airplane pushes the air down slightly as a result. So what happens is, in practice, if you look at the overall picture...

Yeah, so basically the air pushes on the wing, and in the process, the wing also pushes on the air. This is Newton's third law. When two things push against each other, it's never one way. So for example, when the air pushes up on the airplane, the airplane pushes the air down slightly as a result. So what happens is, in practice, if you look at the overall picture...

If the airplane wasn't there, the air just would sail through straight. But because there's a wing there, the air curves and that curvature is related to the differences in pressure. So specifically for lifting wing, the pressure under the wing tends to increase and the pressure above the wing tends to decrease just from the angle of attack and the shape of the wing.

If the airplane wasn't there, the air just would sail through straight. But because there's a wing there, the air curves and that curvature is related to the differences in pressure. So specifically for lifting wing, the pressure under the wing tends to increase and the pressure above the wing tends to decrease just from the angle of attack and the shape of the wing.

If the airplane wasn't there, the air just would sail through straight. But because there's a wing there, the air curves and that curvature is related to the differences in pressure. So specifically for lifting wing, the pressure under the wing tends to increase and the pressure above the wing tends to decrease just from the angle of attack and the shape of the wing.

Exactly.

Exactly.

Exactly.

Yeah. So the thing that holds the wing at the correct angle is the tail. And birds have tail feathers for a very similar reason. Wow. Right. The tail is very much like the fins on a weather vane or a dart, right? It kind of points the airplane into the wind at the correct angle.

Yeah. So the thing that holds the wing at the correct angle is the tail. And birds have tail feathers for a very similar reason. Wow. Right. The tail is very much like the fins on a weather vane or a dart, right? It kind of points the airplane into the wind at the correct angle.

Yeah. So the thing that holds the wing at the correct angle is the tail. And birds have tail feathers for a very similar reason. Wow. Right. The tail is very much like the fins on a weather vane or a dart, right? It kind of points the airplane into the wind at the correct angle.

Well, okay, first of all, the pilot can control the tail. In fact, that's the primary purpose of the pilot is to control the tail. Right, so the pilot, by moving the control stick, moves the tail, and the tail then moves the wing to the right angle. Now, in practice, the airplane kind of passively does the right thing.

Well, okay, first of all, the pilot can control the tail. In fact, that's the primary purpose of the pilot is to control the tail. Right, so the pilot, by moving the control stick, moves the tail, and the tail then moves the wing to the right angle. Now, in practice, the airplane kind of passively does the right thing.

Well, okay, first of all, the pilot can control the tail. In fact, that's the primary purpose of the pilot is to control the tail. Right, so the pilot, by moving the control stick, moves the tail, and the tail then moves the wing to the right angle. Now, in practice, the airplane kind of passively does the right thing.