AERONAUTICS CENTER

Boeing 777 wake turbulence and vortex effect The Basic Surprising as it is to most people, an airplane moves through air that is itself moving. Moving air flows in ways that are quite similar to moving water, only we cannot see the air currents. Air currents vary, and flying rapidly from one current to another is what leads to the feeling of turbulence. Some people call this “hitting an air pocket,” but this description is a misnomer. The jolt comes not from falling into a “hole” in the air but from crossing a barrier between different currents.

Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with the difference being that gas dynamics applies to all gases. Understanding the motion of air (often called a flow field) around an object enables the calculation of forces and moments acting on the object.

an introduction to major airplane components Airplane Components Although airplanes are designed for a variety of purposes, most of them have the same major components.

An airplane flies because air, moving over and under its surfaces particularly its wings, travels at different velocities producing a difference in air pressure low above the wing and high below it. The low pressure exerts a pulling force and the high pressure a pushing force. The lifting force, usually called lift, depends on the shape, area, and tilt of the wind, and on the speed of the aircraft. The shape of the wing causes the air streaming above and below the wing to travel at different velocities. The greater distance over which the air must travel above the curved upper surface forces that air to move faster to keep pace with the air moving along the flat lower surface. According to Bernoulli's principle, it is this difference in air velocity that produces the difference in air pressure. 

Act Directs, April 1818, by Rest Fenner, Paternoster Row. Aeronautics is the science involved with the study, design, and manufacture of flight-capable machines, or the techniques of operating aircraft. The term aeronautics literally means "sailing the air", originally referred solely to the science of operating the aircraft, but then expanded to include technology, business and other aspects related to aircraft. One of the significant parts in aeronautics is a branch of physical science called aerodynamics , which deals with the motion of air and the way that it interacts with objects in motion, such as an aircraft. Aviation is a term sometimes used interchangeably with aeronautics, although aeronautics includes lighter-than-air craft such as airships , while aviation does not .