Winging ItWinging It
How does an airplane weighing many tons fly through the air as if it weighed nothing at all? It must create enough lift to support its own weight. It must also produce thrust to propel itself and to overcome drag, the force of resistance an aircraft "feels" as it moves through the air.
When an airplane is flying straight and level at a constant speed, the lift it produces balances its weight, and the thrust it produces balances its drag. However, this balance of forces changes as the airplane rises and descends, as it speeds up and slows down, and as it turns.
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