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The thrust-to-weight ratio and lift-to-drag ratio are the two most important parameters in determining the performance of an aircraft. The thrust-to-weight ratio varies continually during a flight. Thrust varies with throttle setting, airspeed, altitude, air temperature, etc. Weight varies with fuel burn and payload changes.
Drag and lift coefficients for the NACA 63 3 618 airfoil. Full curves are lift, dashed drag; red curves have R e = 3·10 6, blue 9·10 6. Coefficients of lift and drag against angle of attack. Curve showing induced drag, parasitic drag and total drag as a function of airspeed. Drag curve for the NACA 63 3 618 airfoil, colour-coded as opposite plot.
The aerodynamic force on a powered airplane is commonly represented by three vectors: thrust, lift and drag. [3]: 151 [1]: § 14.2 The other force acting on an aircraft during flight is its weight, which is a body force and not an aerodynamic force.
Most importantly, the maximum lift-to-drag ratio is independent of the weight of the aircraft, the area of the wing, or the wing loading. It can be shown that two main drivers of maximum lift-to-drag ratio for a fixed wing aircraft are wingspan and total wetted area. One method for estimating the zero-lift drag coefficient of an aircraft is the ...
In flight a powered aircraft can be considered as being acted on by four forces: lift, weight, thrust, and drag. [1] Thrust is the force generated by the engine (whether that engine be a jet engine, a propeller, or -- in exotic cases such as the X-15-- a rocket) and acts in a forward direction for the purpose of overcoming drag. [2]
Lift is defined as the component of the aerodynamic force that is perpendicular to the flow direction, and drag is the component that is parallel to the flow direction.. A fluid flowing around the surface of a solid object applies a force on it.
The power is equal to the drag force times velocity. For aircraft in cruise flight the lift is equal to the weight (L=mg) and the engine thrust is equal to the drag (T=D). Hence, ϵ = P / ( m g v ) = D / L = 1 / f {\displaystyle \epsilon =P/(mgv)=D/L=1/f} , with f=L/D the lift-to-drag ratio , so the specific resistance of airplanes is roughly ...
Drag, which is also referred to as air resistance, is the force that opposes motion. As such, it acts against both components of the jet force (both the thrust and the lift). The fourth and final force is the weight itself, which acts directly downward.