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Old 18th Mar 2009, 09:32
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Icarus2001
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
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Lift/Drag ratio of the wing...

You build an aeroplane that weighs X designed to carry Y people etc. Physics shows that Lift has to equal Weight. The ratio of Lift to Drag is defined by the characteristics of the wing...say 10:1...also gives approx glide ratio. Thrust only ever needs to be "a bit more than" drag (over simplification) so those two forces will only ever "need" to be a small proportion of the Lift and Weight.

By the way, there are FIVE forces...CASA.
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