Part one of term paper
Flight is one of the most important achievements of mankind. We owe this achievement to the invention of the airfoil and understanding the physics that allow it to lift enormous weights into the sky. All flight is the result of forces acting upon the wings of an airplane that allow it to counteract gravity. Contrary to popular belief, the ...

Part two of term paper
... from the horizontal that a wing is elevated or declined. When the angle of attack is between 1 and 20 degrees, the most lift is generated. To find the lift generated by a particular area of wing in a standard airfoil shape, a teardrop with the fat end facing forward, the equation L=Cl 1/2 (pV2)S. Cl is the lift coeficent, which is determined by the shape of the airfoil and the angle of attack. P stands for the air mass density, V for the velocity of the air passing over the wing, and S for the ...