Machines & Transportation
How does an airplane work?
Wings create lift, engines create thrust, and control surfaces steer the airplane.
Your SimpleSci lab
Getting the moving parts ready…
Someone had to figure this out
Aerospace engineer
Aerospace engineers design wings that make enough lift while keeping drag low.
Your turn: If you could improve one part, what would you change and why?
Find this interesting? Maybe you should be an aerospace engineer when you grow up!
1. Four forces act on the airplane
Lift pushes up. Weight pulls down. Thrust pushes forward. Drag pushes backward. In steady, level flight, these forces are balanced.
2. Wings create lift
A wing changes the way air moves around it and sends some air downward. The air pushes back on the wing, creating an upward force called lift.
3. Engines create thrust
Airplane engines push air and exhaust backward. That creates a forward push called thrust.
4. Small moving parts steer the airplane
Parts on the wings and tail move to turn the airplane. Ailerons help it roll, the elevator moves the nose up or down, and the rudder moves the nose left or right.
5. Flaps help during takeoff and landing
Flaps change the wing shape so it can make more lift at lower speeds. They are useful during takeoff and landing.
6. Airplanes must be light and strong
Airplanes use strong, lightweight materials so they can handle large forces without being heavier than necessary. Less weight can also save fuel.
4 · Quiz
Does it make sense now?
Answer all five questions. Your best score is saved on this device.
Flight game unlocked
Congrats! Apply what you just learned and fly your airplane.
Control your speed and wing angle. Can you fly through the rings without stalling?
One big idea. Now it makes sense.
Ready to explain it to someone else? Mark this exploration complete, then follow your curiosity to the next one.