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Neagtive lift

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Aerodynamics, Flight Instructor, General Aviation

What is negative lift and how aircraft utilizes it?

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1 Answers



  1. Brian on Mar 08, 2013

    See here: http://www.askacfi.com/10839/negative-lift.htm

    How it is utilized was not answered there. However, the picture I linked in the above link does depict it. Negative lift is utilized by the tail to balance the aircraft.

    Recall that an airplane will rotate around the CG. So if we were to take a pencil in hand and hold it say a third of the way back from the tip we can say our fingertips represent the CG location. The pencil is a wings chord line. Now, with your other hand push up somewhere along the pencil on the eraser side but close to the CG. The pencil will rotate nose (tip) down; eraser side up. This simple depiction is exactly what lift is doing and the negative lift on the tail (eraser side of the pencil) is preventing the main wing lift from nosing you over into the ground. Imagine another person taking their finger and pushing down on the eraser.

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