Flying is amazing, but it’s not magic. So how exactly do drones fly?
Flying isn’t magic, though sometimes I wish it were. It’s all physics, and that means there are a few crucial rules of aerodynamics that explain how flying works—drone or otherwise. If you want to understand drones (and hey, who doesn’t?), then you need to understand lift: what it is and how it provides the force for drones to stay in the air.
Drones are amazing little machines. They are unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, that move through the air by way of rotary propellers.
Drones are amazing little machines. They are unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, that move through the air by way of rotary propellers.
UAVs can be used for many different purposes. They can be used for surveillance, reconnaissance and delivery services; they can also be used in military operations or scientific research. A drone is basically any UAV that has an on-board video camera that transmits data in real time back to its operator’s computer screen using Wi-Fi, satellite links or cellular signals.
Lift is created as the rotors spin, and air pressure is decreased under the drone’s wings.
Lift is created as the rotors spin, and air pressure is decreased under the drone’s wings. The reason for this is pretty obvious: as air moves over an object, it creates friction with that object. This friction creates drag, and in order to keep moving forward at a constant speed through still air (or even to maintain altitude), something must be done to cancel out that drag.
The best way to do this is by creating lift—a force opposite of gravity—which pushes up against your body instead of down on it. In order for a drone to be able to fly at all, it needs some way of generating lift.[1]
Air pressure increases more rapidly above the wing and less below it, creating an imbalance in air pressure that pushes the drone into the air.
The air pressure above the wing is higher than the air pressure below it, creating an imbalance in air pressure that pushes the drone into the air. The shape of the wing determines how much lift it will create.
The wings are shaped so that they displace more air on top of them than underneath them.
The wings are shaped so that they displace more air on top of them than underneath them. The air pressure difference causes the drone to fly. The shape of the wings is a function of the size of the drone. The larger the drone, the larger its wings must be to generate enough lift for flight; conversely, smaller drones require smaller wings in order to generate sufficient lift for flight.
A small drone can fly in much the same way as a large plane by modifying its wings to create low pressure under its wings.
A small drone can fly in much the same way as a large plane by modifying its wings to create low pressure under its wings. As the rotors spin, they create lift by creating an imbalance in air pressure. The rotors spin faster above than below, creating a difference in air pressure between them. The higher pressure above the wing pushes down on it while the lower pressure below pushes up on it—creating lift.
The shape of your typical drone’s body also plays an important role here: since there are no flaps or other movable parts involved, its wings must be angled downwards so that they create enough downward force to counteract its weight (and keep it from falling). This means that the topmost part of the wing must be further away from you than the bottommost part; if not, then gravity would overpower any upward force created by beating propellers and make your drone fall straight down instead!
Conclusion
The next time you fly a drone, remember that it’s not magic—it’s just science! You can test this out for yourself with a paper airplane. Trim the wings into an upside-down triangle and see how high it flies when you throw it into the air!