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How much weight can an airplane wing support?
According to Wikipedia, aircraft such as the Boeing 747 can hold 740 kg/m2. With a wing area of 525 m2, this means that the wings can hold 388 500 kg. Assuming each passenger is about 100 kilograms, that means you can hold 3885 people on the wing at once.
How strong are airplanes wings?
Aircraft wings can flex much more than most people realize. During testing, the Boeing 787 wings flexed 26 feet upward before failing. Aircraft designers calculate the maximum stress they anticipate a wing will experience in flight, then make it able to withstand 50\% more as a safety margin.
How much force can a wing take?
At Mach 0.85 and 0.7 lift coefficient, a wing loading of 50 lb/sq ft (240 kg/m2) can reach a structural limit of 7.33 g up to 15,000 feet (4,600 m) and then decreases to 2.3 g at 40,000 feet (12,000 m).
Can aircraft wing break?
It’s virtually impossible for airplane wings to snap off during your flight — here’s why. Turbulence can be a scary experience for a flyer, but you should remember that it’s extremely unlikely that the plane’s wings will come off.
How much can an airplane wing flex?
Many modern passenger jets can flex their wings nearly 90 degrees in a test rig.
How do airplane wings generate lift?
When in flight, the shape of the wing (commonly called airfoil) allows it to generate lift. The choice of airfoil largely determines the amount of lift it can generate. In most cases, airplane wings can produce enough lift that is equal to the wing’s weight. This is sufficient to keep the aircraft in level flight.
How do airplane wings support the fuselage during flight?
In most cases, airplane wings can produce enough lift that is equal to the wing’s weight. This is sufficient to keep the aircraft in level flight. So, in essence, the fuselage supports the wings when the plane is on the ground while the wings support the fuselage during flight.
Why do wings fly higher up when air moves faster?
When air moves faster, the pressure of the air decreases. So the pressure on the top of the wing is less than the pressure on the bottom of the wing. The difference in pressure creates a force on the wing that lifts the wing up into the air.
What force keeps an airplane up in the air?
Wings keep an airplane up in the air, but the four forces are what make this happen. They push a plane up, down, forward, or slow it down. Thrust is a force that moves an aircraft in the direction of the motion. It is created with a propeller, jet engine, or rocket.