How Fighter Jets Defy Gravity: The Science Behind Their Aerodynamics And Maneuvering Capabilities
Story by Jowi Morales •
We've all seen airplanes fly straight and level, ensuring their passengers are comfortable and helping keep everyone safe as they go from one point to another. However, you don't want safe, predictable flight if you're in a fighter jet. After all, your ability to maneuver and keep the enemy guessing what you will do next is crucial for survival.
Fighter planes are another breed altogether. While, they will fly straight and level, they can also do loops, make tight turns, and perform other stomach-churning stunts without breaking a sweat. But why can't planes, like the large passenger airliners we see at the airport, do that? How does a fighter plane do all those things without falling apart?
Let's look at the science behind aerodynamics and maneuvering capabilities of fighter planes and see how they accomplish all those things without tearing themselves apart. And while we'll primarily look at fighters, you should also know that these principles also mostly apply to propeller planes, even to those that have been made as far back as World War II.
Although I'm not a fighter pilot, I have flown smaller training planes, and the basic principles of flight in smaller aircraft still apply to these fast jets. Furthermore, I am familiar with some of these principles, and what not to do because the small planes I fly are not capable of handling them, but jet fighters can easily.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/how-fighter-jets-defy-gravity-the-science-behind-their-aerodynamics-and-maneuvering-capabilities/ar-BB1oHGx0?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=5476e16e76e24d3381768458a80356ef&ei=151
