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This scene takes place in a wind tunnel, containing three different aircraft: a Sopwith Camel biplane, an F15 Eagle fighter jet, and a typical private jet. The aircraft are shown suspended as if in flight, to demonstrate how lift, weight, thrust and drag are acting upon them.
# Learning objectives
1: Recall and understand the principles of Newton’s First and Third Laws of Motion {.info}
2: Describe how the four key forces of lift, weight, thrust and drag act on during flight {.info}
# Newton’s First Law of Motion {.objective .objective1}
A brief definition of this law is followed by an explanation of how it applies to a plane at rest and in motion. Students are asked to enter the scene and observe which balanced forces are acting upon the aircraft.
# Newton’s Third Law of Motion {.objective .objective2}
A brief definition of this law is followed by an explanation of how its principles are used by a pilot to change the height and speed of an aircraft. Students are asked to enter the scene and select an aircraft to look at closely, thinking about how the first and third laws of motion are manifested.
# Lift, Weight, Thrust and Drag {.objective .objective3}
An explanation is given of how lift and weight act against one another, and how thrust and drag are also in opposition. Students are asked to enter the scene and observe how each aircraft has been engineered to reduce drag, and what effect this would have on its potential top speed.
# Teacher Resources
### Download Teacher Notes
[](https://data.avncloud.com/activities/794430/files/The%20Physics+of+Flight+Teacher+Notes+1.pdf?date=1677686426&size=998269&md5=873459ffebbac8d3de330b5bf1106ed0)
### Student Quiz Answers Document
[](https://data.avncloud.com/activities/794436/files/The%20Physics+of+Flight+Teacher+Notes+2.pdf?date=1677686665&size=567978&md5=b78ad11e912dc4887b016e6cf037caf9)
### Download Student Quiz Document
[](https://data.avncloud.com/activities/794437/files/The%20Physics+of+Flight+Teacher+Notes+3.pdf?date=1677686795&size=94031&md5=c96e8516509af8501981fe3d9307bb56)
