How Does Lift Work? (How Airplanes Fly)

[@Arnostic]

I don’t care how many times I see an airplane takeoff, it’ll never cease to amaze me in every way possible.

[@IcePhergYT]

*Never

[@IcePhergYT]

As respectfully as possible

[@Arnostic]

@@IcePhergYT oh my bad, thank you!!

[@AlexIndus]

Same here. Fascinates me every time. Feel like it’s a miracle !

[@pjcandelaria1]

You need to lift a bird . Big one I mean. Specially props.

[@stinger4712]

I live near an airport so ive seen thousands of planes taking off or coming in for a landing. Every single time im amazed.

[@RebeccaJackson-w2v]

It's truly an art, science and feat of human intellect

[@AndrewCampbell-ut6jk]

Good basic explanation of how wings work, one of the best I have seen without getting too technichnical.

[@gengiz]

Every time I fly I am amazed at human engineering and technology

[@KingG-d4h]

Likewise

[@mactherealestateman]

They studied birds.

[@vok7584]

​@mactherealestateman, it wasn't just a study. It was several years of reasoning, trials, errors and results. Hence, it's still amazing.

[@theKhumbaguy]

That hair dryer example is amazing. Great video.

[@syedghalib3158]

Flaps are not moved during run ups, they are set to a certain degree based on passenger/cargo load, the temp of the day, humidity and the runway length, prior to start of run during the take off procedure call. The pressure difference on upper & lower wings are due to the venturi effect. The air flowing past and over the wing does not stick till the end, it detaches itself before the trailing edge. The upper area of the wing near trailing edge which has no air contact is called "wake area". It is not a desirable condition though. So, vortex generators are installed on upper wing to have air in contact, no matter it is not as smooth as the air on front upper area of the wing. The lift formula has no place for wing (aerofoil) thickness. The aspect ratio or the length x width is the one that has significance. Modern jets have thicker wings for structural strength as they are also used as fuel storage. When flaps are deployed, it is the aspect ratio that increases, thus creating more lift. Venturi effect can be tested by holding two pages, an inch apart, near your face and blowing in the gap. You wil notice that the two pages do not expand apart as you may have guessed, instead they come close like sticking together. Same effect can be seen when a truck or high speed car crosses your motorcycle or car, you feel the magnetic effect of leaning or moving towards the other vehicle. Keep this in mind and be careful on highways.

[@Anthony-gq7dk]

The angle of attack on takeoff of the last 380 seems to defy all laws of physics. Looks as if it is about to stall , but doesn't . Great videos , well done, so informative .

[@avinashpatil6920]

I am 63 now today as on August-2024 still have curiosity to see how planes taking off or lands. Every single time I m amazed. Like child, I took window seat to look down the earth surface and observe the wings movements carefully.

[@Monkeymahenmiester]

🥰

[@snuggles03]

I watched that video twice, and I still do not understand. But don’t worry I was never really good at maths and science.

[@edhorton2766]

That's all right. Just fasten your seat belt, say a prayer, and everything will probably be OK.

[@asarerebird8480]

😢😮😂😅

[@gundyhajcman2188]

Ditto☺️

[@Rocketman88002]

​@@edhorton2766So true!

[@ravindupererawarnakulapata9246]

Really slick explanation (you had 6 mins to sum up a 4-year uni degree!). Also love the Dumbo reference haha!

[@BrodieMcClure-qd5lw]

bro did not laugh irl

[@BrodieMcClure-qd5lw]

bro went like “……” and bro said haha

[@BrodieMcClure-qd5lw]

fake laugh lookin ahh

[@BrodieMcClure-qd5lw]

bros the person who laughs when someone says “Rizz master!”

[@BrodieMcClure-qd5lw]

bro looks like a clock

[@TheBondy2010]

Loved all those real life examples of the physics! I wish I was shown this in uni!!!

[@abelbarraza8422]

I agree this video did a good job of explaining many aerodynamic concepts that relate to lift and actually helping the viewers visualize them through experiments and visual representations. The use of equations to also explain why pressure decreases in certain areas for example is a great way to relate the mathematics into all of it. The only thing I would add to this video is addressing some of the misconceptions of lift and explaining why they're incorrect or incomplete.

[@AL-jn2mn]

This is a great video in explaining aerodynamic concepts relating to lift, thank you! It was great to see all the diagrams and the visual representation of the airplane flying because it gave me a better understanding how lift works and how we have to apply the concepts such as the angle of attack and the pressure differential on how faster moving air applies less pressure which are crucial concepts in understanding how lift generates.

[@wanzilaabel2274]

How to change direction, because when the radar reacts, there's a sudden change in direction which may panic passengers.Hw do captains manage to change direction in a better and safer way.

[@WalkingKarma]

Thank you! That was the clearest explanation I was able to find on the internet about what helps a plane take off. Thank you!! 🙏

[@louisacquah-baidoo4800]

I wish I could personally give you a 1K like. Your explanation is really indept and same time soo simple to understand

[@natahx2787]

Awesome video! I love people explaining aviation concepts! Keep it up

[@EarlMotley]

I think the reason lift fascinates us is we can't see the air as it sweeps over the wing....only the result of it sweeping over the wings. We just see this massive heavy object suddenly being lifted into the air as if it's magic. Absolutely fascinating indeed !!

[@nihonsuki]

One of the better explanations of flight that I've seen on KZbin. I'm glad you said that even a flat plate can fly. That's the basic principle. The curved wing keeps the flow attached which then produces the pressure differential which adds to the lift, increasing efficiency. So many explanations put too much emphasis on the pressure differential contribution to lift.

[@asamapearl]

Love it! Where were you when I was doing my GCSES?

[@Pontiacman1964]

It's wonderful that people finally got the sense to copy what nature had already figured out. The wing isn't a technological marvel, it's a copy.

[@AJLKS.]

Very informative! Perhaps one topic to discuss in the future would be "wing aspect ratio"?

[@HitMeWith]

Great suggestion!

[@rogerrendzak8055]

In the beginning (@2:31), you said the air moving would be right, to left. You mean, left, to right, correct?? Very good short documentary, on lift. Very academic🧐!!!

[@erich930]

No, he meant right to left. Look at where the fat end of the airfoil is vs the sharp end

[@aurorap4281]

Awesome video! Can't wait for the next one. Would love to know more about the history of flight (and how all this was discovered!) in a future video.

[@kakhaval]

Google "The Wright brothers first aeroplane flight (1903)". They used a funny catapult mechanism. Amazing how it developed so fast to modern planes.

[@melchizedekoumamakora6271]

You are truly a wonderful teacher

[@deang5622]

I am impressed. You are the only KZbinr I have seen so far that correctly recognises the part played by Newton's Third Law of motion. All the other muppets believe the sole source of lift is Bernoulli's principle, until I ask them how the aircraft flies upside down where the lift force produced by the wing is in the same direction as gravity - downwards. Without exception, that shuts the muppets up that think they know it all.

[@ricbarker4829]

I feel your pain. I have been arguing with other pilot's for years that the main amount of lift is generated by the bottom surface of the wing directing the airflow downwards. They look at you as if you are an aviation heretic.

[@asomaskanda]

I think you are wrong. It works according to Bernoulli's principle that states that in fluid dynamics an increase in the speed of fluid occurs simultaneously with a decrease in pressure or decrease in the fluid's potential energy1 This is what creates the lift for the plane!

[@pentogram23]

The elevators should have been talked about and how they helps point the nose up after 300 klm

[@ririshow]

You are leaning towards A Bernoulli explanation. Some people would disagree and prefer Newton's explanation.

[@susiemcrae2647]

Sit on a seven-fourty-seven, next to the window that is in line with the wing, ITS AMAZING to take in the full size of it. 😳 You gave a really good and thorough explanation and thank you for taking it at a decent pace AND showing illustrations to facilitate understanding.

[@chrisshonga]

Great video, great information especially for those people who keep asking difficulty question of how possible such a massive flight can manage to lift up easily with almost 600 people on board plus luggages. Thank you for your knowledge which helped a lot of who love to fly with A380 but don't have a clue how things work to lift such a massive plane

[@Kebab4523]

Learning with you is fun thank you 👍

[@h2opiays753]

Solid explanations and external analogies/examples man! This truly helped me understand it better. Im not physician or anything just interested in planes. This truly helped me understand better!!

[@michaelmartey6153]

Is there any shift from the engine or gear box that causes the movement of the plane(wheels)? Thanks

[@MrSmi31093]

Well, If Orvil and Wilber figured it out, I'm sure you can too!!!! You did Gradjuate 6th grade right? I think it has something to do with applied force overcoming the force of gravity!

[@brandontsivitse5277]

Great video with clear and concise explanations and diagrams of the use of lift by airplanes to fly. Great that it explains lift using both aspects of angle of attack and pressure differential, as well as describing lift using both the Newtonian approach and the Bernoulli approach. The video could have gone into more detail about the technicalities of lift with respect to aircraft wing design, such as the production of vortices from certain types of lift, in particular those that have highly volatile angle of attack changes, although this probably would not amply fit in the timeframe of this video.

[@EricBishard]

I’ve probably flown this plane more than any other single model (as a passenger) every trip to Dubai I’ve taken and many other trips where we stop in Dubai I feel like I’m always on this. I Emirates is nice, but flying back from Abu Dhabi, boarded a thirteen day old Etihad A350 and it was my far the nicest, cleanest, luxurious plane I’ve ever stepped foot on. What an amazing set of aircraft

[@robert.ehrlich8942]

Angle of attack and pressure differential are not two different independant factors contributing to lift, they are two aspects of the same global process. Pressure differential is responsible of the total lift, since no other force than pressure forces can create lift. Of course if the wing pushes the air in some direction, the air pushes the wing in the opposite direction, but this can happen only via the pressure forces.

[@SebastianCrosby-f7h]

Awesome video! I love people explaining aviation concepts! Keep it up

[@darryldias8414]

The presenters accent is so so cool 😎 plus the amazing explanation has got me reverted

[@lukecowley8258]

Why are wings swept back and how does the of it angle affect performance? How is the length ans profile of a wing also determined?

[@santiagoparedes2087]

Great video! 10/10

[@emmittcornelius1188]

Best explanation of flight aerodynamics ever!!!!!

[@captainjack003]

What a kind of delivery of learning... With Background music 🥳🥳🥳

[@RebeccaJackson-w2v]

This is awesome! Love your content, can't wait for the next

[@nativeson1559]

Thank you professor. You make a very good teacher.

[@gr637]

Italian Leonardo da Vinci had already found answers to many of these questions over 500 years ago.

[@liljohey123]

Amazing video- thank you

[@alexbowman7582]

The first human built “wing” was probably a boats sail but it could have been the boomerang. Both use wing principles. The boomerang was almost certainly the first human guided missile as well as it’s designed to change it’s trajectory to hit birds in flight.

[@50967A]

Still there is confusion on how lift is created, some people say lift is created as a result of "law of conservation of momentum", some say it Bernoulli principle.

[@ismailmahfoz9737]

In my understanding, there are two parts working together to lift the cockpit. 1: the flaps-located at the main L&R wings. 2: The elevator-located at the stabilizer (short wing at the rear plane). When the plane reach the enough speed against the gravity, the pilot will pull the elevator lever upwards; it’ll change the low pressure air flown at the top of elevator to high pressure, so these action will make the cockpit raise. At the same time, the plane speed + the high pressure air below the wing will lift up the plane to fly… I hope its correct…😊

[@henrivanbemmel]

It has not and will never be Bernoulli's Principle. Energy is always conserved ND Newtons laws are always followed in such situations. The action of the aircraft being rammed through the air by the engines,or even gravity as it descends must deflect air downward in order to deflect the plane upward (lift). No matter what else, this has be so as Newton's third law must be followed.

[@waltervetri2476]

Absolutely clear explanation .Easily understandable .Thank you,Sir.Vetri South Africa .🙏🇿🇦🇿🇦🙏

[@avinashpatil6920]

Nice explanation about takeoff

[@alimozaffar6884]

it was incredible!! thanks

[@nizamina]

Thank you. Always wondered how all this weight got up in the air.

[@templeosigwe3545]

I understood nothing but enjoyed it. Thank you!

[@nativeson1559]

Lol! this is like your lecturer (professor) teaching you about linear regression analysis and you getting nothing.

[@elchanclascocina]

​@@nativeson1559I got linear regression all right, but not this! 😂

[@nativeson1559]

@@elchanclascocina LOl! You have a sharp mind.

[@reubengisawa4751]

Very detailed explanation. Better than some teachers.

[@goldenjets3505]

great vid💫💯

[@jayeolaoluwasola697]

The most advanced tech is the jet/plane ,every other tech falls around it

[@garrettmartin101]

When watching this video, I noticed that there was a lot of visual aid such as diagrams to help explain how lift is generated. To help support the claims you used real examples which helped me better understand how lift works. The mention of different wings and how the size and shape can change lift was very informative.

[@nadeemmustafa6450]

Wonderful video 👍👍👍

[@antoniokastrocarlisledemel6617]

Even as someone who has loved and studied aviation for 30 yrs i still have some basic questions like the Wings and Fuel...am i the only one that wonders how it's possible for the wings to hold a good 400,000 l bs of fuel plus 4 engines and withstand the forces on it while flying and somehow also push the rest of the plane forward without snapping off?..the fuel really gets me cuz it doesnt ever look like any plane can hold as much fuel as advertised and then to have wires and hydraulics running through them and numerous control surfaces attached to them and then maintain that strength while the plane is moving over 500 mph it really is literally mind boggling..im 37 so i dont know a world without planes but even with ally i know it doesnt make them any less amazing and borderline Magic so im sure even the most intelligent from the past lose their minds seeing a plane fly

[@HitMeWith]

This is a great question. I'll try and do a video on the structure of plane wings at some point!

[@Bobbyicon102]

the whole thing is just Amazin .for a air craft to weight 575 ton and just take off into tin air is mind blowing. thanks for the info

[@apostleagbenyegadayi996]

Please can you break this explanation down in simple terms so that I can understand especially with the two factors necessary for lifting

[@julitosnijders3623]

Nice presentation

[@baxterismyyoutubename5077]

Been waiting for this masterpiece

[@asabir141]

When in a moving car at speed and you it your arm out the window, the air is pushing your arm up. That's what is happening with the wing of a plane.

[@terrilhargrovejones]

Fascinating, always...😊

[@loverofthelostnarc]

Does the distance play a vital role in lifting up the aircraft, means do the pilots have to pull the lever backwards within 400 mtrs for the liftoff ?

[@theconfidentialindian9381]

i am able to understand the downward push acceleration when it is in runway... but where does the lifting force when its in sky

[@deu8894]

Very remarkable indeed. Especially for an aircraft as large as the airbus a380

[@franklinsimpson9357]

Whenever a plane is miles or some distance in the air the sound from it seems to be almost a mile behind it, yet when the plane is lower descending for landing the sound is right there under the plane , please explain .

[@marcpeiron_studio]

Thanks for the video. I have a question: What are the mechanisms engaged by pulling the stick and that make the plane tilt up and achieve the angle of attack?

[@MotivatedI]

This is what we call “explain to me like I’m a child. Great job

[@nicholasmccarthy8771]

Thank you for an excellent presentation. I understand the principle of the wings moving up to fill in the area of less pressure and thereby producing lift, but I would like to know more about the science of faster air producing less pressure. On the question of the aerofoil's shape causing this pressure difference, what happens when a plane is flown upside down, at an air display for example? The low pressure is now underneath the wings, 'lifting' the aircraft towards the ground. So ... how is flight now possible?

[@wolfie54321]

The shape of the wing alone doesn't create the low pressure, it's the shape of the wing + the angle of attack. As said in the video, even a flat plate will produce lift at an angle of attack, the shape just makes it more efficient (and allows it to push to a higher angle of attack without stalling). So when flying upside down, the aircraft reverses the angle of attack to produce low pressure on the other side of the wing. But if the aerofoil is cambered, it will be far more prone to stalling when upside down. If the wing isn't cambered (symmetrical aerofoil) it will work just as well upside down as right way up (e.g. if the wing needed 2 degrees of angle of attack when flying upright, it will need negative 2 degrees when flying upside down). The pilot creates this positive or negative angle of attack through use of the tail. If the aerofoil was cambered, maybe it only needs +1 degree to fly right side up, but might need -3 (for example) to fly upside down.

[@wolfie54321]

And in terms of faster air producing less pressure, it comes from the balance of kinetic energy in the fluid to potential energy of the pressure of the fluid (if the air speeds up, to maintain the same overall energy, pressure must drop, if air slows down, to maintain the same overall energy, the pressure must rise). This is described by Bernoulli's equation, which is effectively an energy-per-unit-volume of air.

[@PaulStClair-or3gj]

A sailing yachts sail is a vertical wing. It uses exactly the same principal to create the driving forces.

[@morpheew]

An amazingly simple and broad explanation, thanks! I finally understand how it works 🤣

[@Observ45er]

It is INCORRECT: This isn’t the worst explanation of the physics but still has Two SERIOUS errors. . @1:45 The elevator surfaces are not called “rear flaps”. Flaps are on the wing. . @ 2:22 Saying that AoA and Pressure differential is not a bad simplification / summary, but implies there are two lift forces. . @ 2:48. Air does NOT bounce off the lower surface. It flows downward in a smoothly curved flow. Even MORE air flows curved downward from ABOVE the wing than below. . @ 3:20 The top-Bottom pressure is ALL the lift. However, a pressure difference will only MOVE the object if it is free to move. A craft in level flight is not “moved” upward by lift. . @ 3:51 The Coanda effect does lower the pressure near the surface of an inside curve, but Coanda is only for a jet of fluid in an otherwise still environment. This does not happen above a wing. However, the similarity is the lower pressure on the inside of the curved FLOW. Making them easy to be confused. . @ 4:15 The first serious error. The flow is Not squeezed. There is no hard wall above the wing, but a soft cushion of air. It is NOT a venturi tube. This is one of the common misconceptions. . Fluid has mass and a net force is created by a pressure difference between two locations - called a Pressure Gradient. Euler first recognized this in the mid 1`700s following up on Bernoulli’s work. That net force Accelerates the mass of air away from the higher pressure toward the lower pressure. . A Pressure Gradient provides the force that Accelerates air toward the lower Pressure. The air speeds up because the pressure ahead of the wing is roughly atmospheric pressure which is greater than the reduced pressure above the wing. This pressure is reduced because it is on the inside of the curved flow - It wants to go straight, per Newton’s First Law. You can view it as it is the inertia “pulling away” from the center like you feel moved to the outside car door in a turn. Read Newton’s First Law. . . @4:50 The second serious error. The “faster air” out of the blower is NOT at a lower pressure than the still air around it. This is well known by aerodynamicists and easily measured by anyone with simple equipment. It is the true Coanda Effect creating a centering force by lowering the pressure more when more air curves around one side - allowing the higher air on the other side push the ball back in. . The pressure inside the blower is higher than atmospheric pressure. This creates an Euler Pressure Gradient which accelerates the air away from higher pressure inside the blower to the relatively lower atmospheric pressure outside where the moving air assumes the atmospheric pressure of the still air around it. Euler again. . The video does not make it clear that while there are the two things that are significant for lift, it FAILS to clearly state that the entire lift is from the Top-Bottom Pressure Difference. Those pressures are in effect, created by the curved flows below and above which the angle of attack contributes to. A full treatment can be found here: rxesywwbdscllwpn.quora.com/ - - Regards.

[@prabhakarkmv4135]

Aviation always a great thrill for me!👍🏏 ✈️

[@connortrask3224]

Nice video, one thing to note though is that the Coanda effect describes the tendency of powered jet flows to stay attached to convex surfaces. The air over the top surface of an airfoil stays attached due to a combination of the ambient atmospheric pressure deflecting the streamlines downwards and viscosity causing the flow to stick to the surface (which is also the main reason the water stays attached to the mug in your demo)

[@justing42]

negative. The air doesn't stick to anything.The air moving over the top of the wing is moving faster based on its shape, creating lower pressure. It is slower moving across the bottom of the wing, at a HIGHER pressure. Lift is the object moving from high to low. Its called physics. Bernoulli's principle.

[@deang5622]

​@@justing42Wrong. Explain the boundary layer effect and why aircraft have devices to break it up.

[@markdoepke4594]

Very well done. A small time pilot told me that sometimes the front of the wing is too smooth, making air (and water), pull into little streams instead of laying smoothly over the surface. Dealing with meniscus. Some wing fronts had to put on a very thin matte finish to break up the meniscus. Looking forward to your videos, thanks.

[@b.k.leelaratne7277]

Very informative . Thanks.❤

[@franklinsimpson9357]

Does a plane require the same take off Speed to land or less. Also explain what prevent the plane from falling out of the sky when it cut it speed and slow down in the case of landing or going around before landing.

[@puransharma923]

Then what is the role of elevators and pitch trim if all of it is done by wings.

[@theecapricorn]

Very informative , with excellent explanation.👏👏👏

[@siamakalaei1148]

Thanks for the explanation ❤❤❤

[@shizzyorleone09]

I understand it but it's still amazing to see everytime!

[@nileshrane280]

Sweet and short nicely explained. Got atleast 30% knowledge. That's big % to me even not being an engineer or physicist.

[@PersonPowerProfessPerform]

Excellent video. One of the few that talks on angle of attack firstly rather than makes out lift is almost all to do with wing cross section. Yes .. a flat wing will fly happily due to aoa … it just flies even better with cross section shape. I know as I made model aircraft in my teens with flat wings and they flew fine. Unusually sensible video this . Many thanks .

[@Robert-d5l]

On a symmetrical airfoil,the zero attack angle is drawn from the leading edge the trailing edge. However for a cambered airfoil, that angle is above the leading edge more relative to the trailing edge angle.

[@dhanrajmohan701]

Public comment. God bless the investor of this aircraft. So amazing. I really love this plain. ❤

[@SabuJoseph-o6e]

GOOD EXPLANATION

[@daniels.deloso4181]

After viewing your presentation, I'm better informed. Muchicimas gracias.

[@JohnSmith-fd8zu]

Lift me up Scotty.

[@catkeys6911]

What is not so clearly explained here is that the low air pressure (or near vacuum) above the top surface of a wing is due to the fact that the air is forced to travel quickly upwards to get around the flat-bottomed teardrop shape of the wind's profile (this is easier to explain with a diagram- which, of course is not possible in a KZbin comment). The air's momentum causes it to form a partial vacuum along the top surface of the wing- which causes lift.

[@vantamplin7574]

Very good explanation. Even simple minded, me, can understand your subject explained with your hair dryer balloon (pressure) and dyed water (grasp) demo. A hair dryer/ballon and ink/cup; just brilliant, creative video.

[@HitMeWith]

Glad it was helpful!

[@henryimarhiagbe]

Thanks. I would like to know how commercial aircrafts manoeuvre in the air.

[@paulweisensell8751]

Excellent explanation!

[@Genecardo]

What makes the turbine engine start

[@Cranston0]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5WmlJV4ndShmqM

[@ashokhazra5708]

Watching from India . Kolkata. Thank you very much for nice video .🙏

[@justinmiller2995]

Great to see a video that mentions angle of attack in the explanation of lift! most sources miss out on this. I also find a lot of sources that miss the reactive force of deflection of airflow. Most sources just focus on pressure differential. However, your explanation of the coanda effect was wrong as this only applies to jet streams. The use of the cup is also a very poor example, as this is not a result of the Coanda effect, rather an effect of surface tension between the water and the cup. Additionally implication of causation in a one way direction between pressure and velocity is risky, as these factors effect one another simultaneously. Finally, it is incorrect that the airfoil is "sucked" up. This may seem minor, but the increased pressure below the airfoil pushes it up, rather than it being sucked up.

[@xschematech4965]

This is insightful, I would like to know how weight distribution works on plane

[@mohanmenon446]

Good information 😊

[@shaneduff021]

Where do you get those balloons!?! Great video

[@cashnut08]

Thank you for this explanation on such a big topic in aerodynamics. I really found useful the many diagrams and visuals to aid in the explanation of lift. Both the angle of attack of the airfoil with respect to the flow as well as the pressure differential are both major concepts to understand in order to generate as much lift as possible.