WHY? Aircraft designers try to create wing shapes with a large amount of lift, but with as little drag as possible. Orville and Wilbur Wright, who flew the first successful powered aircraft on December 17, 1903, experimented with over 200 different wing shapes, trying to find a design that gave the greatest lift for the least drag. It is a quest that still goes on today. Aircraft engineers continue to experiment with different shapes in wind tunnels and by computer analysis. ASSESSMENT: Can the student communicate what they observed?

Student is able to communicate how the shape of a wing affects the amount of lift that is produced and thus reducing the amount of drag. Student is able to communicate most of the reasons how the shape of a wing affects the amount of lift that is produced and thus reducing the amount of drag. Student is able to communicate some of the reasons how the shape of a wing affects the amount of lift that is produced and thus reducing the amount of drag. Student is able to communicate one of the reasons how the shape of a wing affects the amount of lift that is produced and thus reducing the amount of drag.

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Last modified: Sat Dec 20 12:48:52 PST 1997

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