Northstar VFR
MAY 26, 2025
When deployed, they increase the wings lift and drag, allowing the airplane to fly safely at slower speeds. When flaps extend, they increase the camber (curvature) of the wing, which boosts the amount of lift the wing generates. At the same time, flaps create extra drag, which helps slow the airplane down. How Do Flaps Work?
Simple Flying
JUNE 14, 2025
Increasing camber, flaps propel an airliner to lift off at lower speeds, trading a little drag for a lot of lift. One of the most influential cockpit levers on a jet’s take-off is the flap handle. Hinged panels at the wing’s trailing and leading edges transform a sleek airfoil into a low-speed lift sail.
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Pilot Institute
MARCH 13, 2025
Wing Camber Wing camber defines how much more curved the wings upper surface is compared to the lower surface. They adjust wing camber, thickness, and aspect ratio to balance lift, drag, and stall characteristics for different aircraft roles. Engineers try to design wings that maximize lift while minimizing drag.
Pilot Institute
JUNE 4, 2025
This setup makes the wing less efficient overall, but it can reduce drag, weight, and cost compared to using a separate tail. High aspect ratio wings reduce drag and improve performance during climb or slow flight. On the flipside, a decrease in aspect ratio will result in higher drag. Short, wide wings have a low aspect ratio.
Pilot Institute
JULY 11, 2025
Lift, drag, and handling correlate well with IAS in the lower atmosphere. This type of wing redirects the shockwaves further aft on the wing, reducing drag. For most aircraft with highly cambered wings or thick profiles, airflow accelerates over the top of the wing. This is partly due to the steep rise in drag nearing M cr.
Pilot Institute
SEPTEMBER 30, 2024
The lift and drag imbalance between the left and right ailerons creates adverse yaw. This creates more lift and drag on the upgoing wing (left) and less on the downgoing (right) wing. The differential lift and drag are the main causes of adverse yaw. Any increase in lift causes induced drag to increase as well.
Pilot Institute
FEBRUARY 20, 2025
The asymmetry between the top and bottom surface of the wing is called wing camber. The downward movement of the aileron increases the asymmetry and, therefore, the camber while raising the aileron reduces the wing camber. The problem is that the aileron can only be deflected to a point after which the drag becomes significant.
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