Flaps & Runways

Flying slowly enough to land

An interactive lesson with 6 steps, about 5 minutes: you predict, drag and solve, with instant feedback on every answer. It runs in your browser and needs JavaScript.

What you’ll learn

• Minimum flying speed $v = \sqrt{2W/(\rho S C_L)}$.
• Flaps raise the lift coefficient for slow take-offs and landings.
• Stopping distance grows as speed squared; headwinds and dense air help.

Steps

1. The slowest a wing can fly
2. Set the flaps
3. Speed and runway length
4. Into the wind
5. Flaps and stall speed
6. Hot and high