What are the four forces acting on an airplane in flight?

The four forces acting on an airplane in flight are lift, weight, thrust, and drag. Lift is the upward force generated by the wings as air flows over them, allowing the aircraft to rise and maintain altitude. Weight, or gravity, is the force that pulls the airplane down towards the earth. Thrust is the forward force produced by the engines that propels the aircraft through the air. Drag, on the other hand, is the resistance the airplane encounters as it moves through the air, which opposes the thrust.

Understanding these four forces is crucial for pilots and aviation engineers, as they must be balanced to achieve stable flight. For instance, to ascend, lift must exceed weight, while thrust must be greater than drag for the airplane to accelerate. During different phases of flight, the management of these forces is key to maintaining control and achieving desired performance.