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Q:

How does a plane resist strong winds?

A:

Since airplanes often fly in all kinds of weather, they are built to be stable. An aircraft is stable if it returns to equilibrium flight conditions when it is disturbed. In other words, when you push it, it comes right back to where it was before.

 

To do this, we place the center of gravity (the balancing point, the middle of all the forces pulling down on the plane) right below the center of lift (the middle point of all the forces pushing up on the plane). This makes the plane stable, and able to withstand huge gusts of wind. Having a good pilot also helps.

 

 

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