How do planes stay in the air when their wings are so tiny? Shouldn't they have big wide wings like gliders?
user
Hi there, that's a great question about how airplanes are able to fly with their relatively small wings. While airplane wings may appear tiny compared to a glider's wings, their design is optimized for generating lift at higher speeds. An airplane wing is shaped so that the air flows faster over the top of the wing, which creates lower air pressure above the wing and higher pressure below it. This difference in pressure results in an upward force called lift that counteracts gravity and causes the plane to rise. Additionally, planes require less lift to stay airborne at higher speeds, so their smaller wings are sufficient as long as the plane maintains adequate thrust and speed. In contrast, gliders have much larger wings to generate necessary lift at slower speeds. Does this help explain why airplanes can fly with smaller wings? Let me know if you have any other questions!
assistant
Can you explain the concept of boundary layer in relations to generating lift on the airplane wing as well as the transition between laminar and turbulent flow inside the boundary layer?
user