How does a 747 fly?

Answer 1

Same as any other fixed-wing aircraft. There is a powerplant that provides thrust to push the plane forward. In your 747 they are big turbofan engines that burn Jet-A fuel, which is just fancy kerosene. Air flowing over the wings creates an area of low pressure which provides lift, pulling tha airplane up. Little movable plates on the wings called ailerons are used to roll the plane left and right. Then another plate on the tail called the rudder moves to yaw the plane. Yawing is like when a car turns to the left or right. When the pilot rolls to the left, and at the same time uses the rudder to yaw to the left, the airplane makes a left turn. Also on the tail is the final movable plate called the elevator. It pitches the airplane nose-up or nose-down. The elevator is used to take-off, climb, descend, and land. All these plates that move to control the craft are not really called plates, they are called control surfaces. All airplanes work using pretty much the same principles, from the littlest one that holds one person, even littler models, up to the really big ones like your 747! The only difference is the bigger they are, the bigger the powerplant or engine needed to push it. Aircraft that are not fixed-wing, such as helicopters do use some other principles to fly and are a little different.