#1 random fact of the day: planes take off into the wind. until today i had no idea. never had really thought about it either.one would think an airplane would take off with the wind. or at least i would. ;)
Airplanes take off into the wind, because if an airplane can take off, at, say, 100 miles per hour, if there is a 10 mile per hour headwind, it could take off while it's ground speed (what its speedometer would say if it were a car) were 90 mph, because the air going over the wings, and therefore the lift generated, would be 100 mph. This, therefore, requires less runway distance.
If an airplane took off into the wind, given the same 10 mph tailwind, it would not be able to take off until its groundspeed were 110 mph, therefore requiring MORE space to take off.
Sometimes when the wind changes directions, airplanes take off the other way (they turn the runway around).
This oversimplifies it but I think it helps get the picture :)
Good morning Ms Emma!
ReplyDeleteAirplanes take off into the wind, because if an airplane can take off, at, say, 100 miles per hour, if there is a 10 mile per hour headwind, it could take off while it's ground speed (what its speedometer would say if it were a car) were 90 mph, because the air going over the wings, and therefore the lift generated, would be 100 mph. This, therefore, requires less runway distance.
If an airplane took off into the wind, given the same 10 mph tailwind, it would not be able to take off until its groundspeed were 110 mph, therefore requiring MORE space to take off.
Sometimes when the wind changes directions, airplanes take off the other way (they turn the runway around).
This oversimplifies it but I think it helps get the picture :)
Glad you got that right
ReplyDelete