Linked Questions
24
votes
8
answers
26k
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Does lift equal weight in a climb?
This subject keeps coming up in the discussions and questions such as this one, which asks if lift equals weight in level flight. Good answers there, pointing out that upwards force has many sources. ...
- 61.2k
32
votes
9
answers
8k
views
Is excess lift or excess power needed for a climb?
As answered in this question, aircraft need excess power - not excess lift - to climb. This is plausible when the aircraft's thrust vector has a vertical component (its nose and engine points upwards),...
- 993
14
votes
6
answers
11k
views
How does an aircraft descend without its nose pointing down?
I have seen many cockpit videos of airplanes landing, and nearly none of them have their nose down for losing altitude. How does this happen? and how does an airplane, such as A320, descend without ...
- 854
7
votes
4
answers
1k
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Why is more angle of bank (AOB) at the best gliding speed giving less altitude loss?
Reading the manual for the T6b (turboprop aircraft single engine), it says different altitude losses during a 360 degree turn, holding 125 kts (the best glide for range speed), power is either dead, ...
- 419
5
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Are we changing the angle of attack by changing the pitch of an aircraft?
For example:
if I pitch the airplane up, but also increase power and am able to maintain the same speed, then no, the AoA hasn’t changed, although it may have varied in the transition between one ...
- 789
6
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Why is the L/D ratio numerically equal to the glide ratio?
*L/D is ratio of two forces, lift and drag.
*Glide ratio is ratio of two distances.
Can you explain mathematically how they end up numerically equal and are they always equal?
user52248
3
votes
6
answers
2k
views
What produces thrust along the line of flight in a glider?
After reviewing discussions and vector diagrams of gliders in flight, the vertical lift component and the vertical drag components seem to produce a steady state, 0 acceleration balance with gravity. ...
- 18.7k
7
votes
2
answers
881
views
'Gravitational' power vs. engine power
A glider gets the power it needs to fly from the decrease of gravitational potential energy associated to the descent. My question is: for the same weight $W$, airspeed $V$, and a prop efficiency of ...
- 10.8k
-2
votes
3
answers
341
views
Is lift less in a steeper descent than in a shallower descent, and if so, by how much?
Is lift less in a steeper descent than in a shallower descent, and if so, by how much?
For example, if we change our ratio of horizontal distance travelled to vertical distance travelled (through the ...
- 21.4k
1
vote
2
answers
474
views
Can we show through simple geometry rather than formulae or graphs that the best glide ratio occurs at the maximum ratio of Lift to Drag?
For an unpowered glider, can we show through simple geometry involving force vector diagrams, rather than mathematical formulae or graphs, that the best still-air glide ratio is achieved at the angle-...
- 21.4k
-2
votes
1
answer
99
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what is the actual force causes this issue according to IAS that shows normal descend speed?
When we have tail wind during approach , with respect of Aerodynamic forces that effect on airplane , the whole part of fuselage move forward due to tailwind, also we have about 70kts IAS (in general ...
