Welcome to SkyScholars — learn how airplanes conquer the skies through interactive science.
Begin Flight SimulationSelect a force to learn more about how it affects flight. Balanced flight occurs when lift equals weight and thrust equals drag.
Lift is the upward force that counteracts gravity and keeps the airplane in the air. The wings create pressure differences as air flows over and under them.
The curved top of the wing means air has to travel faster over the top surface, creating lower pressure according to Bernoulli's principle, which results in upward lift.
Balanced flight occurs when lift equals weight and thrust equals drag. When these forces are balanced, the airplane flies at a constant altitude and speed.
If there's more thrust than drag, the airplane speeds up. If there's more lift than weight, the airplane will climb.
Watch, then Try - Learn from our videos then test your knowledge in the simulator
Principles of Lift Video
In this video, we explore how wings generate lift through air pressure differences and Bernoulli's principle.
Try Lift SimulationFour Forces of Flight
Learn about the four fundamental forces that act on an airplane in flight: lift, weight, thrust, and drag.
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