For many years, humans watched as birds flew around in the air, patched on trees, and even came down on the ground. Humans wanted to enjoy such experiences too. They wanted to find a way through which they could move from one point to another without having to walk along the long roads or country paths. However, this always seemed like a dream that will never come true because a human could only jump a few feet off the ground, and fall back almost immediately.
However, humans did not give up, and there was a lot of celebrations when the Wright Brothers constructed the first airplane. Before checking out some cool facts about airplanes for kids, you should know the following.
- It took a lot of research and time to develop the first airplane.
- There have been a lot of developments and therefore, the airplanes we know today are significantly different from the first ones.
- The first airplanes could only travel short distances, but today, we have planes that can travel around the world.
- Airplanes are the fastest mode of travel because they take more direct routes to their destination compared to trains, cars, and ships.
As a kid, you may not understand the complex aspects of how airplanes work. The dynamic behind its operation are a puzzle even to professionals. However, we do not want to bombard you with the technical things that you obviously are not ready to learn. Instead, we only want to focus on the cool facts that will help you understand some of the things that you have always wondered about. For instance, did you know that airplanes rely on a combination of forces to lift it off the ground, propel it in the air, turn it into the desired directions, and land when needed?
Various types of airplanes
Which type of airplanes do you see flying over your area? Whether you live in a big city or in a remote village, airplanes have become common, and you can see them every day. Although there was initially just one plane developed by the two brothers, there are various types today. Although modern day gliders have motors, the initial ones did not. Someone had to climb on top of the plane to start it off. The other type is helicopters. They have large blades at the top that are propelled in order to create an uplift. These planes can only carry a few people at a time. For instance, there are some that only carry two people. Passenger planes on the other hand are large. They are designed to hold lots of people and travel to destinations across the world. Jets and fighter planes are mostly used by the military. They are fast and sophisticated. If you have ever heard of space shuttles, they are something between airplanes and rockets, and they are often used to travel to space. We also know that children like to make paper planes for fun.
Airplanes defy gravity
Anything that is tossed into the air will automatically fall back to the ground. This is because of a force called gravity. What this force does is that it pulls everything on earth and within the earth’s atmosphere towards the center of the earth. But what happens with airplanes? They go up and stay there until the pilot decides to bring them back down. They do not fall back to the ground, unless they have developed mechanical problems that result in a crash. One of the things that help airplanes to get off the ground and stay in the air is their shape and wings. These are called fuselage and airfoil. The fuselage is thin and long, and the airfoil is wide. They combine to give the aircraft an upward thrust through the movements of air. It is more similar to when a bird spreads its wings to fly, only that while a bird does it naturally, an aircraft relies on power from its engines and some other factors.
A little history about flying
The concept of flying did not start when the airplane was invented. You will be surprised to find out that it started many years before that. The Chinese kick started it when they made kites. Kits could float in the air for long periods of time, without any other support apart from that which is provided by the air. Form this, scientists started researching on how other objects could float I the air, and move around unlike kites that were pegged to one place. It was a process that would culminate in the successful innovation by right brothers. Form there, it has been progress after progress, and we can only expect things to get even better.
You have to know how to behave when in an airplane
Kids often cause a lot of trouble when traveling in planes. This is the reason you need to be with your parents or any other adult so that they can watch you throughout the trip. To start with, you should stay safe by not leaving your seat to play in the aisle. You should have your seat belt properly fastened. If you want to relieve yourself, ask the person traveling you to accompany you. You cannot just get off your seat and start going without informing anyone. Do not keep pressing the bell to ask for things that are annoying. For instance, some kids press the bell only to ask the attendant if they are there yet. Others drop items and start yelling that they are theirs. What you need to know is that there are many other people who are using the plane, and they will be irritated by some of these behaviors.
These cool facts about airplanes for kids should help you understand a lot of things about planes. If you have never been inside an aircraft, you are yet to experience one of the best feelings. You will like the feeling of soaring into the sky like the birds that fly in your neighborhood.