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Physics of flight?

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Viggen:
There is a question that is troubling my little mind... We all know how a wing works and that it produces lift. But if the aircraft is flying upside down, then the wing must produce downforce instead of lift. Now how is it possible for aircraft to fly upside down?? Is it the forward motion from the engine/engines, or what is the effect/physic that makes this possible??

Can someone explain this in laymans terms, so i can understand it.  :)

Gripen:
i thought that the air going over the wings and the speed from the engine kept the plane flying normally, so upside down would be the same?

the engines are still propelling it, which makes the wind go over the wings, so wouldnt it be the same, just a little more touchy if you aimed the nose down,  the plane would basically fall!

i dont know
im not aeronautical engineer

Webmaster:
Ok, let me start with saying that I am not an aerospace engineer either, nor a pilot. Not sure if there is an easy answer. But don't forget the control inputs and pitch level, it's not just a matter of wing profile. Even when you are flying right side up, you have to balance your pitch to your speed by using the trim. Your lift is reduced by having the inverted wing, but it's not completely converted into a downforce, the wing still creates lift only with lesser effect, which may not be enough to keep you flying unless you adjust your pitch and speed. Because you adjust the pitch of your aircraft, you can still generate enough lift to keep flying, depending on your speed and aircraft characteristics of course. In fighter jets, the wings are flatter, speed contributes more to lift than the wing profile, and the computer will make adjustments for you.

I think we need an aerospace engineer on this forum to provide some better drawings and explanations  :(

Viggen:
Ok. So what i have understood, its basicly down to the forward motion/speed of the aircraft that makes it possible.  Why this idea entered my mind was mostly because of racingcars. Their wings produce alot of downforce, enough to drive upside down through a tunnel when they reach speeds over 290 Km/h. It just hit me that you should get lift here instead of downforce if you are driving upside down.  ???

There is big diffrences between wings on a formula one car versus airplanes, but the ground concept they build wings on is the same. If if im not completly wrong and way out there. ;)

Webmaster:

--- Quote from: Viggen on October 17, 2006, 07:54:52 PM ---It just hit me that you should get lift here instead of downforce if you are driving upside down.  ???

--- End quote ---

Yeah, but they are upside down, so that lift is downforce onto the ceiling...

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