What is Flight: Definition and 363 Discussions

Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space (i.e. spaceflight). This can be achieved by generating aerodynamic lift associated with gliding or propulsive thrust, aerostatically using buoyancy, or by ballistic movement.
Many things can fly, from animal aviators such as birds, bats and insects, to natural gliders/parachuters such as patagial animals, anemochorous seeds and ballistospores, to human inventions like aircraft (airplanes, helicopters, airships, balloons, etc.) and rockets which may propel spacecraft and spaceplanes.
The engineering aspects of flight are the purview of aerospace engineering which is subdivided into aeronautics, the study of vehicles that travel through the atmosphere, and astronautics, the study of vehicles that travel through space, and ballistics, the study of the flight of projectiles.

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  1. L

    Electron and photons time of flight

    Hello, I would be interrested by some references comparing times of flight for photons and electrons. Ideally, I would like to see that for different energies. I would also prefer astrophysical sources, since the huge distances should increase the precision. Thanks
  2. B

    Overbooked flight probability problem

    Airlines often overbook flights. You are a manager selling 40 tickets on a flight with a capacity of 35. You estimate the probability of a given passenger NOT showing up is 0.2. I already calculated some parts of the problem: 1) how many passengers do you expect to show up = (.8)(40) = 32...
  3. M

    Can an airplane land over another one both in flight?

    don't know if this is the right place to ask, but I've been wondering: can ever a plane land over an aircraft carrier, which is also a plane, both in flight? if so, how should they do that?
  4. wolram

    Possibility of affordable interstellar space flight

    This is an old paper but at least it is a start for a discussion on the affordability of interstellar travel. http://www.andrews-space.com/images/videos/PAPERS/Pub-InterstellarTransportation(200307).pdf If one uses some marker for a nations, or a group of nations wealth, will...
  5. H

    Ding! Deep Drive to Center: Tracking the Ball's Flight

    A baseball is hit deep to center field. The vertical position from home plate of the ball with respect to time is described by: v(t) = -20t2 + 103.5t +5 in feet above home plate The horizontal distance from home plate is described by: h(t) = 84.32t in feet where t is in seconds HINT: The...
  6. W

    Flight time of Projectile motion

    Ok, I thought I knew how to do this, but for some reason, according to my homework website, my answer is wrong. So I'm turning to this board before I beat my head against the wall. Please help me. Homework Statement A ball is thrown with an initial speed of 31 m/s at an angle of 45�. The...
  7. L

    How could an object (not aerodynamic shaped) achieve flight?

    The question above and- How can it achieve flight without chemical propellant?( Electric?) Are there other ways?
  8. C

    Time of flight of a projectile

    Homework Statement A projectile of mass m is fired from the ground with a speed of 200m/s at an angle to the ground of 30 degrees. Assuming that the air resistance is linear, given by -mλv where v is the projectile's velocity and λ=0.1 s^-1, then find (taking g=10m.s^-2) (a)the time of...
  9. T

    Trouble on Sydney-Melbourne Flight: Faulty Landing Gear Light

    A Quantas airplane flying between Sydney and Melbourne yesterday had to turn around and return because a "faulty landing gear" light came on. Why turn around? You got to land either way.
  10. R

    Difference between wind tunnel and real flight

    Please help: We know that static pressure is the pressure felt when moving with the fluid (air). So in real flight the Pitot-static tube is moving with the aircraft and gives static pressure X (lets call it X). BUT in a wind tunnel the Pitot static tube is fixed (i.e. not moving) and the...
  11. M

    Determining Wind Velocity From Light Plane Flight

    A light plane attains an airspeed of 470 km/h. The pilot sets out for a destination 800 km due north but discovers that the plane must be headed 17.0° east of due north to fly there directly. The plane arrives in 2.00 h. What were the (a) magnitude (in km/h) and (b) direction of the wind...
  12. G

    Projectile, Range, Maximum Height, Time of Flight Problem

    Homework Statement Your teacher tosses a basketball. The ball gets through the hoop. How long does it take the ball to reach its maximum height? How long does it take the ball to reach the hoop? What is the horizontal length of the shot? (Neglect air friction). Initial velocity: 17 m/s...
  13. O

    Is Bernoulli's Principle a Viable Method for Investigating Flight Factors?

    Homework Statement I'm supposed to design a practical about factors that affect flight. I've decided to use Bernoulli's Principle to help me do this experiment. So I am planning to alter the thickness of the wing (independent variable) see its effect on the horizontal displacement (dependent...
  14. A

    Projectile velocity and flight time

    Hi this is my first post here so I hope it's in the right place! I am doing a computer course and we are using visual basic which is a programming program! I am a hunter and also I am very interested in ballistics of rifles. I want to make a ballistics program using Visual basic but I am...
  15. S

    Ballistic and Bullet Flight Path Calculation

    Hello all, I'm new to this forum. I am currently writing a small piece of software to calculate a bullets flight path based on as many different factors as possible: Wind, Elevation, Beginning Velocity, Bullet's Rate of Twist, Bullet Weight, Air Density, etc., any other possible factor that...
  16. W

    How Many Planes Are Needed to Fly Around the World with Limited Fuel?

    A group of airplanes is based on a small island. The tank of each plane holds just enough fuel to take it halfway around the world. Any desired amount of fuel can be transferred from the tank of one plane to the tank of another while the planes are in flight. The only source of fuel is on the...
  17. M

    Insect Wings: Modeling the Complexity of Flight

    Hi everyone! I have a question for you :) I am wondering, if there already is a developed model, imitating insect wings, e.g. bee wings. If you happen to observe them, they seem to be much more complex, but also much more useful and allow a more flexible movement. Insects fly with them not...
  18. H

    Dragon flight and whether it would be possible

    I'm wrestling with the question of dragon flight and whether it would be possible/feasible. I've read the book "the Flight of Dragons" Peter Dickinson, Harper & row, 1979. Dickinson argues that for a full sized dragon, which he puts at 90 feet long, six feet wide and 20,000 pounds, a dragon...
  19. D

    Baseball Player Hits Home Run: Calculating Velocity and Flight Time

    a baseball player hits a home run that just clears the top of the bleachers 21m high located 130m from home base. the ball is hit at an angle of 35* above the horizontal a) find initial velocity of the ball b)the total time of the flight of the ball...
  20. J

    Is Human Flight Possible?

    Is human flight possible? I'm not talking about flapping your wings. I'm talking about flying like Superman. I think it's possible. Does anyone have an explanation? I fly all the time in my dreams and I feel like I could fly in real life. Please be serious about this post because I am.
  21. A

    Flight Path Angle: Definition & Effect on Airplane

    Hello, What is flight path angle and how does it affect an airplane? What is the difference between flight path angle (glide angle or climb angle) and angle of attack? When the flight path angle is changed during flight, does the angle of attack also changed? I found that lift is always rely...
  22. S

    Calculate Flight Time of Artillery Shell

    Homework Statement An artillery shell is fired at an angle of 25.3 above the horizontal ground with an initial speed of 1890 m/s. The acceleration of gravity is 9:8 m/s2 : Find the total time of fight of the shell, neglecting air resistance. Answer in units of min. Homework Equations...
  23. A

    Determining the Direction and Speed of a Bee's Flight

    Homework Statement While you are standing still you hear the frequency of the wings of a bee as 245 Hz when the bee is moving through the air. If the bee is hovering, the frequency produced is 251 Hz. Is the bee flying toward or away from you? How fast is the bee flying? Homework...
  24. L

    Flight of projectiles from a rifle

    Hello all We at work have been discussing the flight of projectiles from a rifle. So here is the discussion. Firstly a rifle is fired at 500m to a target on a horizontal range. After some adjustment the centre is hit consistently. Termed a bulls eye. Then The target is placed on a hill...
  25. S

    What causes a boomerang to flatten out in flight

    I understand why it turns to travel in a circular path. But why does it flatten out from vertical when you throw it.
  26. N

    Formula for Paper Airplane Flight?

    Hey first time poster long time reader, I have a question on the physics behind this shockwave applet. Are there a series or set of equations that could approximate something that is done in this applet? http://www.workman.com/etcetera/games/fliersclub/ I don't think air resistance is a...
  27. U

    How can a flight simulator be any useful?

    An accelerating aircraft, in whatever direction, will move long distances. A flight simulator cannot move long distances. Therefore it cannot simulate acceleration correctly. Only slight deviations and turbulence can be simulated correctly. So what use can a flight simulator be, in...
  28. L

    Solving the Flight of a Pencil Problem

    Hello everyone, I am dealing with a tough problem. I place a pencil on the edge of a table and I hit it. I want it to fly as far as it is posible. I don't really know how to describe its path - how much will the the hitting cause its rotation and how much will it give the pencil velocity? There...
  29. A

    Building a Vehicle for Mass Loads with Flight Capabilities

    Hi Experts! I have my own company and we are working on small project for goods movement. I would require your valuable help to achieve this... Brief: A vehicle which can carry mass load and can fly from one point to other. Direction is changable. Which can be controlled. This is manually...
  30. wolram

    Controlled Flight of 4-Rotor Crafts: Beyond Military Use

    How would one control a craft with 4 rotors in a square pattern, i imagine it would be best to have one power source and vary the rotor pitch, may be with a gyro controlling out of limit dynamics, apart from the military has anyone had one of these in controlled flight?
  31. K

    Calculating Bird Airspeed from Ground and Wind Speed

    Homework Statement Please bear with me. I'm a PhD student biologist struggling to remember some maths and physics, so I fear that this question may seem very simple to people using this forum. The problem I have is with some data I have on bird flight, measured using a radar. I have...
  32. C

    Determine the time the arrow is in flight

    An arrow is shot with an initial speed of 25 m/s (and lands at the same height as its launch height). There are two possible angles at which it chould be aimed so that it goes 30 meters. What are they? Givens: v(i)=25m/s a=-9.8m/s^2 d(x)=30m I know the first step is to determine the...
  33. S

    Find Distance of Bird Flight for Bike Vectors

    [SOLVED] Bike Vectors Homework Statement A student bikes to school by traveling first d_N = 1.00 \rm {miles} north, then d_W = 0.400 \rm {miles} west, and finally d_S = 0.100 \rm {miles} south. If a bird were to start out from the origin (where the student starts) and fly...
  34. J

    Rocket's Max Altitude & Flight Time

    A 200kg weather rocket is loaded with 100 kg of fuel and fired straight up. It accelerates upward at 31.0 {\rm m/s^2} for 35.0 s, then runs out of fuel. Ignore any air resistance effects. I just don't know how to integrate the weight into the problem known variables (hopefully they are...
  35. S

    Calculating Time of Flight for Artillery Shell

    I am completely lost on this one; An artillery shell is fired at an angle of 85.1 degrees above the horizontal ground with an initial speed of 1960 m/s. The acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s/s. Find the total time of flight. Can someone do it and explain how to do it?? Thanks so much!
  36. Ivan Seeking

    BioJet 1: Biodiesel Takes Flight

    http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=biodiesel-takes-to-the-sky Actually, biodiesel is getting great attention wrt aviation because of its high energy density - almost as good as regular diesel. Boeing and Virgin recently partnered in an effort to develop alternative fuels for aviation...
  37. R

    Projectile motion flight time of ball

    [SOLVED] Projectile motion Homework Statement A ball is thrown with an intial velocity of v0 at an angle theta from the horizontal. Find the flight time of the ball in terms of H and g only. Homework Equations t = (2 v0 sin theta)/g The Attempt at a Solution Ok. I found theta to...
  38. S

    Calculating the Time of a Bullet's Flight from a Rifle Aimed Horizontally

    This is a four part problem, and I need help starting it. It states that a rifle is aimed horizontally at a target 30 m away, and the bullet hits the target 1.90 cm below the aiming point. How do I find the time of bullet's flight?
  39. B

    Error measurement in time of flight tests

    I build a potato cannon with my friend and we were having fun shooting it safely in a clearing. I decided to shoot is straight up and measure the time it is in air. Out of three measurements I got 9, 9, and 7 seconds which is a long time. Taking and average and Using 2 dim eqs I got 2v=at...
  40. V

    How High Does the Rocket Clear the Wall?

    Homework Statement A rocket is fired at a speed of 75.0 m/s from ground level at an angle of 60.0º above the horizontal. The rocket is fired toward an 11.0m high wall, which is located 27.0m away. By how much does the rocket clear the wall? Homework Equations y=vot-1/2gt^2 possibly...
  41. A

    Doing long jump inside aircraft in flight

    A friend of mine who has a lot of experience with aircraft tells me the following:- His premise seems to be that something changes when your feet are off the floor. I think what he is saying is incorrect and that the distance jumped will be the same in either direction as the whole...
  42. S

    Mathematica Aerodynamics: Mathematically Modeling the Flight of an Object

    Homework Statement Had our choice for a topic for a project, and I picked math modeling. My Original Research Question: In what way can a playing card be thrown in order to maximize the distance it travels? My Simplified Research Question: In what way can a flat disc be thrown in order...
  43. S

    Mathematica Aerodynamics: Mathematically Modeling the Flight of an Object

    Homework Statement Had our choice for a topic for a project, and I picked math modeling. My Original Research Question: In what way can a playing card be thrown in order to maximize the distance it travels? My Simplified Research Question: In what way can a flat disc be thrown in order to...
  44. M

    Rocket acceleration after lauch and during flight

    I know mostly that a rocket has acceleration when it is being launched, but does it still keep acceleration when it continues to fly? because my teacher said when this rocket goes up, the speed is decelerating due to gravity. Does this situation only for the rocket that doesn't have acceleration...
  45. Ivan Seeking

    Top Gun flight now available in US

    I must say, this is sounding much more practical. The business hasn't done nearly well enough lately to justify the Moscow trip. http://www.incredible-adventures.com/hollywood-top-gun.html It's not a Mig 29, but it ain't bad!
  46. wolram

    Impossible Flight: One Wing Aircraft Soars Despite Odds

    Can an aircraft fly with just one wing? it sounds impossible but this film shows otherwise. And the pilot pulled out of a spin, the use of afterburner seems to have given the aircraft the extra speed to stabilise flight. Still very odd, i can not see how aerodynamically this aircraft flew.
  47. M

    Understanding Physics of Arrow Flight

    My dad gave me this question: "My most recent bout with physics was in my article on arrow flight. I have a question for you. I was told many years ago that an object (ball, arrow etc.) shot or thrown, (picture a pitcher or archer) does indeed continue to accelerate (increase in speed) for a...
  48. Cyrus

    First Flight Today: My Flight Experience at KGAI

    I just went for my first flight today. I took off at KGAI, did some turns, flew the approach pattern a few times, and then the instructor did the final leg of the landing. Not bad for the first time, but it was almost EXACTLY like flying microsoft flight simulator...
  49. D

    How Do You Calculate the Acceleration During Projectile Launch?

    Homework Statement Vi= 26.06 m/s Mass= 0.5 Kg Angle of launch= 45 degrees time of flight= 3.61 sec range= 64m I need to find the force given to the projectile on the cannon during the launch, and due to the formula F=MA, I am missing A, but I have not formula to find the acceleration of...
  50. L

    Aerobatic flight and the physics principles

    hey! can anyone help me. i have this as a physics assignment and that is all the guidance the teacher gave me. im not quite sure wat to research on this topic. i think she wants me to cover the stuff about centipetal force?? and i can't seem to find many good websites. besides heaps of...
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