Ep. 15: Power Curve | Lift and Drag Explained in and out of airplane

In this video we'll walk you through the basics of what we call "The Power Curve". This ultimately represents how much drag is acting on the airplane at different air speeds, and what that means to you as a pilot.
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[@navymt2005]

Finally, someone explains this so that I understand.

[@scottwillson5562]

Jon, this is the first time i've actually understood the power curve. Just in time for my CFI checkride next week haha

[@saketsagar2156]

good luck chuck !

[@manlor13]

Amazing as always! I found myself behind the power curve not long ago while doing touch and go's at KISM airport. My final approach was good, but we had some windy conditions and thermals. I tried to keep between 70 and 65 while at about 100 ft. Then the winds got all crazy and all of a sudden I felt sinking, added power, pulled the nose up instictively, no acceleration, power all the way nothing! my next quick thought was to bring the nose down and get airspeed, but the runway seemed so close that I hesitated and landed rough with a nose high attitude. Lesson learned, calibrate power and airspeed, point the nose down at the aiming point, it's ok to be a little faster in gusty conditions and thermaldon't increase drag by going to slow. G

[@israloni]

Great Vid! Very informative. Adding the Inflight helps a lot as well. thanks!!!

[@Nick2007]

Jon you are the Best! 👍🏼 Keep up the great work!

[@ReignOterror]

Yet another good one Jon, I always learn something from your video's. Thanks again!

[@jeTROGIBBS]

Thanks for the celar explanation, my thought on this is that its one of those things that are easy to feel when you fly but kinda counter intuitive to break down....

[@PaperPilotJack]

And thank you for explaining the power curve. I've been wanting to understand that.

[@turboromy]

I never really understood to be "behind" power curve. I got it now. Thanks. I guess behind means "left" from the graph.

[@fly8ma.comflighttraining199]

Affirmative! :)

[@DoctoreDoom]

Yeah he's a good teacher!

[@reik2006]

Very well explained! Thanks

[@kiltedpiper98]

Great explanation!

[@MoiraOBrien]

Very well explained.

[@haggeoromero]

What a remarkably simple and clear explanation.

[@fly8ma.comflighttraining199]

Glad it was helpful!

[@onthemoney7237]

This might be a life saver thanks 👍

[@PaperPilotJack]

Jon. you need to open the exposure on your camera by about 1 stop (increase the iso by 2x)

[@MegaHell101]

Thanks so much, well done.

[@kylepalmer7980]

Airspeed is King! Great explanation!

[@TridentCapital]

The best explanation i've seen.

[@debbiegailstuart1282]

🤗WOW! That makes sense. Great explanation. Thanks for helping me understand

[@fly8ma.comflighttraining199]

I'm glad it helped! Cheers!!

[@robk70]

THANK YOU MAN THIS MADE SENSE THAN MY PROFESSOR MADE IT. I NOW UNDERSTAND THIS RATHER THAN TRYING TO CRAM FOR A CHECKRIDE. THANK YOU MAN.

[@brandibooth]

this video helped so much, thanks!

[@toddw6716]

Excellent

[@alecpanayotov]

Fantastic explanation, never understood it until now

[@amarhashimi5892]

Great explaination

[@genec9560]

I'm practicing short field/soft field, and I understand the yoke forward/back to control speed. The power to maintain altitude or reduce descent l do because I was instructed too. This explanation of how power overcomes the extra drag was the piece I was missing. Funny I've seen that speed v drag graph many times, but didn't read-in connection with throttle action, and speed. Thanks for the whole picture.

[@fly8ma.comflighttraining199]

Happy that it helped!

[@fwdslip5964]

Thank you!

[@RushinTruckin]

Very interesting!

[@shaneparker007]

By far the best drag curve ever described on KZbin. Kudos to u mate !

[@fly8ma.comflighttraining199]

Thanks!!! Share it around!

[@youssefennaoui2486]

Thank you very much John . that was awesome explanation

[@fly8ma.comflighttraining199]

Always happy to help!

[@zkr2133]

Thank you Jon

[@morganrucker9275]

Thank you so much for this video!

[@fly8ma.comflighttraining199]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rock0236]

As claimed in the past, this guy is truly, "The Bob Ross of Aviation".

[@BrookeSimmonsGreenDoorVirtual]

Thank you for this clear explanation!

[@fly8ma.comflighttraining199]

Glad it was helpful!

[@N91CZ]

Be careful about mixing drag and power. They are not the same. Minimum power occurs at a much lower airspeed than minimum drag. Suggest adding the power curve on the board. During the demonstrations, I suggest holding point long enough to show steady state responses otherwise you cannot tell is the observation was just a dynamic response.

[@madscientistme]

wow thanks, you are a life saver. I needed to understand this for my project ._.

[@fly8ma.comflighttraining199]

Happy that it helped ya! Check out more resourceful content at fly8ma.com

[@Shoyer01]

Wow! Excellent video

[@fly8ma.comflighttraining199]

I appreciate it!!

[@husseinalmaliki7482]

Thank you very much, great video

[@fly8ma.comflighttraining199]

Hey! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@pokibeau]

Aghhhh... I completely understand all these concept intuitively, but when I see them explained on paper they make no sense! Kind of like a musician who plays by ear proficiently, but doesn't understand how to read music on paper. Thats me, but thanks to this guy I can understand what I already intuitively know. Thank you!

[@ahmadtheaviationlover1937]

awesome video!!!

[@fly8ma.comflighttraining199]

It's appreciated! Feel free to share it around a bit

[@sealy999]

Can you include the thrust equation and maybe use numbers for a particular plane?

[@SuryaSarav_]

yeah great video man..especially the onboard video really helped..Cheers

[@fly8ma.comflighttraining199]

Glad it helped ya!

[@SuryaSarav_]

@@fly8ma.comflighttraining199 One doubt what is the difference between thrust required curve and powered required curve?

[@bulamoves2987]

Well done Jon!! Bravo Zulu

[@fly8ma.comflighttraining199]

Much appreciated!!

[@mateobelen503]

At 11:38 it made me realize why pilots who small aircraft, like the Cessna models and Diamond models, climb to 3k feet in case if there's an emergency when mainly, I would think, the engine not running because if it does stop running then you have the 3k altitude to glide, and possibly do an emergency landing at the airport

[@brandonjones690]

Jon, question, (I'm working through your free ground school course...Thank You! Rookie question) at 9:58 in the video you talk about being at 20 and attempting to execute a go-around and not having enough alt to trade for speed to then climb. I assume you still are configured in full flaps, at full power if your go to 10 degrees of flaps or zero even, won't that decrease Ld enough to allow you to accelerate and then climb?

[@ryans.5998]

Airspeed, altitude, brains. You only need two of the three to survive.

[@onthemoney7237]

The first two lol

[@genec9560]

I got curious how taking on ice would affect the curve? I believe, more parasitic drag would raise min drag intersection and the air speed, and if bad enough ice, perhaps the min drag = max possible drag 100 HP can handle, and thus there's only one way to go - down.

[@shawnsmith1865]

Is that "70" best Glide Speed number....in the POH somewhere to see?

[@Spyder2260]

Hey Jon, do you still give lessons at Venice? I took my discovery flight with you about two years ago and I'm looking to actually take lessons now that I actually have the time to do so

[@thegrouchyoldman6909]

After 8 months with no response, I'm thinking he might be out of range by now or perhaps he's on another frequency. Try becoming a Patrion. Perhaps you can make contact on that one.

[@steveburrington4288]

Great explanation. Can you speak to VGs as it relates to this graph? My understanding is that is lowers stall speed thus decreasing lift drag, correct?

[@fly8ma.comflighttraining199]

VGs would not affect this "general" graph much. They simply (try to) keep the airflow attach to the wing better at all AOAs, increasing lift and drag by doing so. They also allow the wing to fly at a higher AOA prior to stall (when installed correctly).

[@papacarrot4619]

why does induced drag increase exponentially when airspeed decrease? and not in a straight line?

[@MilindParicharak]

First like 🌝

[@prvoslav320]

Thanks for the explanation! I just don’t understand how can an airplane be too slow and enter a stall, if the throttle is fully open and max power is produced? I’m talking about clean configuration. I’m studying from Oxford book now and I can’t get it, how can an airplane be slow, if full power is being used.

[@andyupnorth9815]

Attitude + power = performance. If you are slow, in order to generate the required lift to maintain level flight you need a higher angle of attack. A higher angle of attack will produce more drag which in turn requires more power to over come. Eventually you reach a point where the angle of attack is so high that any further increase in the angle of attack will add more drag and as you are already at full power, you cannot over come that increase. The added drag then slows the aircraft even more, and a loss of lift occurs and the aircraft stalls. This stall is not the aircraft falling from the sky, just a reduction to lift so level flight can no longer be maintained. This in essence is a full power stall.

[@dr123hall]

Drag, Angles and Power ... Vx = best angle of climb, while Vy = best rate of climb ... Total Drag is combined “Parasitic and Induced” drag, or Thrust required! Speed you Need (to keep flying level at a specific airspeed.

[@dr123hall]

Vx = excess thrust; Vy = power required vs power available (not lowest point of power required curve, bit to the right) why? Due to slight hyperbolic power available curve over top of power required curve. True airspeed in knots x .003 = “HP” Power Required. Roughly.

[@ttirrell]

Kinda like a bicycle or motorcycle. You actual turn the handle bars right just a bit to turn left and left to turn right.

[@badgerfishinski6857]

Draw where Vx and Vy are on the chart please.

[@valiantbear5566]

If you are low and slow, why cant you just take a notch out of flaps to reduce your drag, thus gaining airspeed? That way you wouldn't have to nose down as much to get that airspeed back when you are already low...

[@Fraiyia]

Airspeed is Queen ! Me, I’m kind of a rook . Lol ! Thanks. good vid .

[@ahmadtheaviationlover1937]

4:56

[@captmulch1]

Did you stall the aircraft on final approach in that flying sequence?? Ummmmm ....

[@asoerens]

I don't think he did, just tripped the stall warning, which buzzes before an actual stall.

[@BlueLineSpeed]

I really enjoy your videos, and especially adding context to ground-school with video demonstrations. BUT demonstrating a stall at

[@aeroengguy448]

A good lesson, but I must call you out on mixing Power with Drag, or more correctly, Thrust Required, which is the curve you have drawn. I realize recip pilots talk power not thrust, and while your curve explanations were right on, it's important not to mix the terms. Minimum drag (Min thrust req'd or L/D max) is not min power req'd.

[@timbyrne914]

It's thrust required for unaccelerated flight, how is that different than drag?

[@aeroengguy448]

Yes, Thrust Required is the same as Drag. Power Required is Drag times Velocity (airspeed) so the terms are not interchangeable. I was being a bit pedantic.

[@ltvicjr]

I really like your delivery but I don't understand why you explain stall as a function of drag? You left out critical AOA entirely, which is a fundamental part of understanding how the airfoil works. This is what occurs on the 'Lift' side of the L/D curve, and how exceeding critical AOA is what causes a stall at slow airspeeds. Not drag. Pilots MUST understand critical AOA as well as induced & parasite drag's effect on energy.

[@gml6040]

Whilst an easy to understand explanation, when you factor in that power available changes with airspeed, mixing up power and thrust terminology in this presentation will likely cause some confusion.

[@alirezaghaderi]

This video has lacks some theoretical truths Power is different than Thrust... You mixed them in the graph...

[@oslo6661]

Oh dear. Although the gist of this is useful, your whole lesson is confusing drag and power.

[@jlff5381]

IT'S NOT CALLED A POWER CURVE!

[@cooperthomas2220]

I dislike your shirt strongly.

[@heather4230]

Thank you!

[@fly8ma.comflighttraining199]

You're welcome!