This interactive activity from NOVA allows you to explore the
important forces of lift and drag and how they affect everything
from airplanes to wind turbines. In order for an object to move
through the air in a stable manner, it must balance four forces:
lift, gravity, thrust, and drag. Lift and drag arise as air
moves over and past an object like an airplane wing. The special
shape of a wing that enables it to fly is called an airfoil.
Airfoil design varies depending on the purpose of the object.
Learn about the wings used on different types of planes, as well
as airfoils used on helicopters, wind turbines, and even race
cars. All lift and drag data for the airfoils in this
interactive activity were generated using NASA's FoilSim III
software, version 1.3. Data assume average cruise speed for each
type of aircraft. The design of a wing's cross-section, or
airfoil, will affect the amount of lift and drag it produces.
While airfoils come in different shapes for different purposes,
they all use the same physic