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Rotorcraft Flying Menu >General
Aerodynamics > General Aerodynamics
There are four forces acting on a helicopter
in flight. They are lift, weight, thrust, and drag. [Figure
2-1] Lift is the upward force created by the effect of airflow
as it passes around an airfoil. Weight opposes lift and is caused
by the downward pull of gravity. Thrust is the force that propels
the helicopter through the air. Opposing lift and thrust is
drag, which is the retarding force created by development of
lift and the movement of an object through the air.
Figure 2-1. Four forces acting on a
helicopter in forward flight.
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