How Model Airplanes Fly

After the successful flight of the man-carrying vehiclelocated ¼ of the wing chord. Balancing it is by
made by the Wright brothers, interest in aviationplacing your fingers on both sides of the wing, then
spread rapidly and many models were made. Modelrelocating the receiver, batteries and servos until the
airplane enthusiasts are already existing in the earlyairplane is balanced.
1900s'. Most of the models are rubber powered,You may ask why the center of gravity is located
twining type with double stick fuselages that are¼ of the wing chord? It has something to do
common in Europe. But even in the early days ofwith aerodynamic center, neutral point that can be
model flying, small petrol and compressed air enginesexplained in detail with some illustrations by following
are already being used. The materials used in modelthe link on the bottom.
constructions are birch strips, veneer, spruce, pianoWhen you look at the cross section of the wing, the
wire or bamboo and oiled silk covering.shape is called an airfoil. Basically the airfoil consist of
Then balsa structure and tissue covering appeared inupper and lower camber, leading and trailing edge.
the United States in the late 1920s'. So much for theWhen the airplane is flying, there are aerodynamic
history of model aircraft. So you see, even today,forces that interact with the wings, vertical and
the airplane structure and how it fly is nodifferenthorizontal stabilizers because the airplane is going
from the one we are flying today. The wings,against the air or commonly called "relative wind".
fuselage, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, propellers,Then it creates a variance of pressure on the upper
engines, landing gears are the same. The airplane, toversus the lower camber of the airfoil (or the wing
fly and have control during flight uses them. Theitself) which generates lift. The air that passed the
wings are obviously responsible why the airplanelower camber should have a higher pressure against
canstay in the air for a long time. With proper designthe upper camber to sustain flight. This has
of the airplane, dimensions, weight considerations andsomething to do with law of continuity. The air
aerodynamic design characteristics it will flymolecules that separates from the leading edge,
successfully. The aerodynamic principles behind it isgoing to the upper and lower camber, should meet at
what really makes it fly. But even though it has athe trailing edge at the same time. Since the upper
good design, weight and balance plays a major role.camber has a greater curve than the lower camber,
There was a saying that "a feather flies better thanthe distance on the upper camber is longer and
a brick" which is true because a very heavy airplanetherefore requires more velocity to meet the air on
won't fly if it cannot be sustained by its power plantthe lower camber. This creates a lower pressure on
(engine, propeller, and fuel tank). And with regards tothe upper camber based on the Bernoulli's theorem,
balancing, a well-balanced airplane is controllable during"as the velocity of air increases, pressure decreases"
flight. Usually the fulcrum or center of gravity isHope my brief explanation is understandable.