Name: 飛機是如何工作的？初學者的簡單解釋 (How Airplanes Work: A Simple Explanation for Beginners)
Uploaded: 2025-08-26T11:05:06.000Z
Duration: 4 min 8 s

Have you ever stuck your hand outside a car window while speeding down the road?

你有沒有在路上飛馳時把手伸出車窗外的經歷？

情態副詞

If so, you've likely felt the wind forcefully pushing back against your hand, depending on the angle.

如果是這樣，您很可能已經感覺到風從不同角度反向推著您的手。

That simple experience provides valuable insight into how airplanes fly.

這一簡單的經驗為我們瞭解飛機如何飛行提供了寶貴的啟示。

When four key forces—lift, weight, drag, and thrust—work together in harmony, they allow massive airplanes to rise and soar through the sky, sometimes speeding fast enough to break the sound barrier.

當升力、重量、阻力和推力這四種關鍵的力和諧地作用在一起時，就能使巨大的飛機升空翱翔，有時其速度之快足以突破音障。

Let's examine these forces one at a time.

Consider this. An airplane is a massive, metal object that can weigh anywhere from a few hundred to half a million kilograms.

考慮一下這個問題。飛機是一個巨大的金屬物體，重量從幾百公斤到 50 萬公斤不等。

The airplane's fuselage, its various components—onboard systems, equipment, payload, and fuel—all contribute to its overall mass, which is directly related to its weight.

飛機機身、機載系統各部件、設備、有效載荷和燃料都是飛機總品質的組成部分，而總品質與飛機重量直接相關。

The weight is directed downwards, or in other words, towards the center of the Earth.

重量的方向是向下的，換句話說，是朝向地球中心的。

To counteract this downward force, a force known as lift is required.

為了抵消這種向下的力，需要一種稱為升力的力。

Lift is primarily responsible for keeping an airplane—or any other object—in flight.

升力是飛機或任何其他物體保持飛行的主要動力。

那麼，飛機是如何產生升力的呢？

The airplane's wings are primarily responsible.

You may have noticed that most aircraft wings have a characteristic design— a flatter lower surface and a curved upper surface.

您可能已經注意到，大多數飛機機翼的設計都有一個特點--下表面較平，上表面呈弧形。

This makes for a cross-sectional shape known as the airfoil.

這就形成了被稱為機翼的橫截面形狀。

As the aircraft moves through the sky at high speeds, the curved airfoil design allows the air above the wings to move faster than the air below them.

當飛機在空中高速飛行時，彎曲的機翼設計使機翼上方的空氣比下方的空氣流動得更快。

This difference in airspeed creates a difference in air pressure.

The faster-moving air above the wing results in lower air pressure, while the relatively slower air beneath the wing has higher air pressure.

機翼上方流動較快的空氣導致氣壓較低，而機翼下方相對較慢的空氣則具有較高的氣壓。

This pressure difference generates the force of lift, which allows the plane to ascend and remain airborne.

這種壓力差產生升力，使飛機能夠上升並保持在空中飛行。

You may recall Newton's third law of motion.

您可能還記得牛頓第三運動定律。

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

每一種作用力都會產生相等和相反的反作用力。

As an airplane flies, it pushes through the air, and in response, the air pushes back against the airplane.

當飛機飛行時，它會推開空氣，作為迴應，空氣又會推回飛機。

The direction of drag is always opposite to the direction of the plane's motion.

阻力的方向總是與飛機的運動方向相反。

Imagine swimming in a pool, where the faster you try to swim, the more the water resists your movement.

想象一下在游泳池裡游泳，你遊得越快，水對你的動作的阻力就越大。

This is another example of drag in action.

The airplane's speed and shape significantly influence the drag it experiences during flight.

飛機的速度和形狀對飛行過程中的阻力有很大影響。

To overcome drag and maintain forward motion, another force called thrust is required.

為了克服阻力並保持向前運動，還需要另一種叫做推力的力量。

Without thrust, the plane cannot move forward.

Lift cannot be generated without forward movement, so flight would be impossible.

如果不向前運動，就無法產生升力，是以飛行是不可能的。

An aircraft generates thrust through its engines.

Commercial aircraft are typically powered by jet engines that expel air at high speeds from the back of the plane, propelling the plane forward.

商用飛機通常由噴氣發動機提供動力，噴氣發動機從飛機後部高速噴出空氣，推動飛機前進。

Here we see Newton's third law in action again.

在這裡，我們看到牛頓第三定律再次發揮作用。

The amount of thrust generated depends on several factors, including the number of engines, the type of engines, and the throttle setting.

產生的推力大小取決於多個因素，包括髮動機數量、發動機類型和油門設置。

You may have noticed that commercial planes have their engines located under the wings, parallel to the body.

您可能已經注意到，商用飛機的發動機位於機翼下方，與機身平行。

Some aircraft, particularly military jets, have engines positioned in a way that allows for adjustments to change the direction of thrust.

有些飛機，特別是軍用噴氣式飛機，其發動機的安裝方式允許調整以改變推力方向。

鷂式戰鬥機就是一個典型的例子。

The tail wings and rudder help pilots control the airplane's direction and stabilize it while airborne.

尾翼和方向舵幫助飛行員控制飛機的方向，並在空中穩定飛機。

A variety of electrical and mechanical systems and components on board work together harmoniously to achieve this elaborate airborne feat.

機上的各種電氣和機械系統及組件協調工作，實現了這一精心製作的空中壯舉。

It is this perfect combination of systems and physical forces that makes flying possible and safe.

正是這種系統與物理力量的完美結合，使飛行成為可能，並確保飛行安全。

These fundamental forces and engineering elements operate seamlessly behind the scenes of any flight, allowing us to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

這些基本力量和工程元素在任何飛行的幕後無縫運行，讓我們可以坐下來，放鬆身心，享受飛行的樂趣。

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

美國國家航空航天局噴氣推進實驗室、加州理工學院