stackyFACTSFighting the heavy control column for hours would exhaust any pilot. Enter the trim tab: a ridiculously small movable surface on the edge of the main control surfaces that uses airflow to hold the big flaps in place without human effort.
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Placing the horizontal stabilizers at the rear is standard, but occasionally engineers bolt them to the front instead. These canard wings produce upward lift…
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Straight wings are fantastic at slow velocities, but they perform terribly when approaching the sound barrier. Angling the wings sharply backwards fools the…
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If a paper airplane lacked a tail, it would instantly tumble. The massive vertical stabilizer at the rear of a jet acts purely as an aerodynamic weather vane,…
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High pressure under a wing constantly tries to sneak over to the low pressure on top, creating massive swirling vortices at the tips. Bending the ends of the…
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Jumping out of a plane in a jumpsuit usually results in a rapid vertical plummet. These specialized suits feature hidden vents that force high-pressure air…
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Tony Jannus piloted the world's very first scheduled commercial airline flight in 1914, transporting a single paying passenger across Tampa Bay in a trip that…
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