Lift is the force that directly opposes the weight of an airplane and holds the airplane in the air. Lift is generated by every part of the airplane, but most of the lift on a normal airliner is generated by the wings.
Lw = 0.5 * ρ * V^2 * S * CLw
- Lw: Lift generated by the wings of the aircraft. This is the force that opposes gravity and keeps the aircraft airborne. It is typically generated by the aerodynamic properties of the wings.
- ρ (rho): Density of the fluid (e.g., air) through which the aircraft is flying. Density is a measure of how much mass is present in a given volume of the fluid.
- V: Velocity of the aircraft relative to the fluid. This represents the speed at which the aircraft is moving through the air.
- S: Wing reference area. This is a geometric parameter that represents the area of the wings that interacts with the airflow.
- CLw: Coefficient of lift for the wings. This dimensionless coefficient describes the lift characteristics of the wings and takes into account the wing’s shape, angle of attack, and other aerodynamic properties.