Aircrafts and aerodynamics

Airplane Parts
The main parts of an aircraft are: Control Surfaces: Right and Left Aileron, Elevator, Rudder, and Trim Tabs
 * the fuselage,
 * the wings,
 * the horizontal stabilizer,
 * the vertical stabilizer,
 * the landing gear, and
 * of course the engine(s)

Four Forces on an Airplane
The four forces which act upon an aircraft in flight are:
 * 1) Lift
 * 2) Drag
 * 3) Thrust
 * 4) Weight


 * Lift acts upwards at right angles to the airflow through the center of pressure. In simple terms, Lift is perpendicular to the Relative Wind.
 * Drag is the backward force which opposes the forward motion of the aircraft and acts parallel and in the reverse direction to the aircraft movement.
 * Thrust is the forward propulsive force provided by the engines.
 * Weight is the total weight which acts vertically downwards through the center of gravity.
 * Lift Weight
 * Thrust Drag

Resources
NASA's Beginners Guide to Aerodynamics - Supplement your of study aerodynamics at your own pace and to your own level of interest. Some of the topics included are: Newton's basic equations of motion; the motion of a free falling object, that neglects the effects of aerodynamics; the terminal velocity of a falling object subject to both weight and air resistance; the three forces (lift, drag, and weight) that act on a glider; and finally, the four forces that act on a powered airplane. There are many interactive pages designed to illustrate aerodynamics.

Aerodynamics Lesson - Gold Seal Master CFI trainer Robert Still video presents basics of Aerodynamics in an easy to understand format.

See How It Flies - Free online book (in HTML format) running through aerodynamics and techniques for flight.

Wikipedia Aircraft - A definition of Aircraft and examples of various types of aircraft.

Wikipedia Aerodynamics - Technical overview of aerodynamics and the physics of flight.

FAA Aircraft - FAA information on Registration and Certification of Aircraft, Advisories and Guidance, Regulations and Policy, Forms, and Technical Information. Includes a searchable database of aircraft registered in the US.