Table of Contents
Can a plane reach space?
Two piloted suborbital rocket-powered aircraft have reached space: the North American X-15 and SpaceShipOne; a third, SpaceShipTwo, has crossed the US-defined boundary of space but has not reached the higher internationally-recognised boundary.
How did Keith Sapsford fall?
On February 22, 1970, an Australian teen named Keith Sapsford snuck onto the tarmac at Sydney Airport and hid inside a Tokyo-bound plane. John GilpinIn 1970, a teenage stowaway named Keith Sapsford fell to his death from an airplane.
Could you survive on the wing of a plane?
They could, maybe, get up a few thousand feet before the cold and oxygen issues factored in, but definitely not to 30,000 feet. A pressurized suit with thermal protection and an oxygen system could keep them safe for the flight, Kring suggests.
How do planes fly so high in the air?
The wing is pushed up by the air under it. Large planes can only fly as high as about 7.5 miles. The air is too thin above that height. It would not hold the plane up. Some kinds of planes can fly much higher. One special NASA plane, Helios, flew to about 19 miles. This is far higher than any other plane has gone.
Why can’t a wing be held up by the air?
The wing is pushed up by the air under it. Large planes can only fly as high as about 7.5 miles. The air is too thin above that height. It would not hold the plane up. Some kinds of planes can fly much higher. One special NASA plane, Helios, flew to about 19 miles.
How does the shape of an airplane’s wings affect its performance?
The air going above the wing has to go a little farther than the air going below. This is because of the wing’s shape. The air molecules on top are a little farther apart. This makes the air there a little thinner. It also makes less pressure on the top of the wing.
Why is the air thinner at the top of the wing?
The air going above the wing has to go a little farther than the air going below. This is because of the wing’s shape. The air molecules on top are a little farther apart. This makes the air there a little thinner.