Aerodynamic Forces Solver
Lift & Drag Estimator
Input flight velocity, wing surface area, and aerodynamic coefficients to calculate lift, drag, glide ratio, and cruising propulsion power.
Input Parameters
Configure wing sizing and flight cruise conditions.
m/s
m²
kg/m³
LIFT FORCE
661.5 N
148.7 lbf DRAG FORCE
22.1 N
5.0 lbf GLIDE RATIO (L/D)
30.0
Efficiency index CRUISE POWER
661.5 W
0.89 HP Force Vectors Vector Visualizer
Aerodynamic forces act relative to flight path (lift is perpendicular, drag is parallel).
• Dynamic Pressure (q):
• Lift-to-Drag Ratio (L/D):
Equations of Aerodynamic Flight
Lift ($L$) and Drag ($D$) forces represent the integration of pressure and shear stress distributions over a wing's surface area ($S$) at velocity ($V$):
// LIFT EQUATION
L = 0.5 * ρ * V² * S * C_L
L = 0.5 * ρ * V² * S * C_L
// DRAG EQUATION
D = 0.5 * ρ * V² * S * C_D
D = 0.5 * ρ * V² * S * C_D
Propulsive power ($P$) required to overcome wing drag at level flight equals the drag force multiplied by the airspeed ($P = D \cdot V$). High glide ratios ($L/D$) minimize thrust/power demands, directly leading to lower fuel consumption or longer range.