19. Airport Crowd
Category – Science
More than 767 million people flew on airplanes in 2009, going to US and international destinations. They stood in line to check luggage or get boarding passes, just like the travelers in the crowded airport scene from Sign of the Rat. The ability to fly today is based on the patented inventions work of two brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright. Their first plane, the Wright Flyer, managed to stay in the air for only 12 seconds. But the brothers persisted, studying the flight patterns of birds. They observed bird wings to understand what allowed birds to fly. Wilbur and Orville altered the steering of their flying machines so the planes could lean into turns like birds. They also used pulleys and cables to change the angle of the wings and gain lift.
Question –
Assignment – Learn the answer by clicking below to visit the How Stuff Works website and see aerodynamics in action.
Click here to research the answer.
Question –
- What is the scientific principle behind airplane flight?
Assignment – Click on the hotlink below to see a clear diagram on the ThinkQuest website.
Click here to research the answer.
You can also see a video about how airplanes fly –
Have fun watching this Purdue University video about the physics behind aerodynamic
lift –
Bonus Question –
- Wilbur and Orville Wright had many trials with gliders before they celebrated their first successful airplane flight at Kitty Hawk. What changes did the Wright Brothers make that led to their breakthrough?
Assignment – Visit the Smithsonian’s website by clicking on the hotlink below and seeing the innovations that Wilbur and Orville completed in 1903.
Click here to research the answer.