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FLY 101How it works10 of 10 free seats leftHow it works

How planes fly

How do tonnes of metal stay in the sky? The course starts with the Wright brothers' 1903 Flyer, then assembles a training plane on your bench, part by part. Every piece is there for a reason. At the end, you build one yourself and test-fly it.

  • Beginner
  • About 4 to 5 hours
  • 14 sections
  • 44 lessons
Take a free seat

The course opens in batches, each with a limited number of free seats. You take your seat in the Academy, signing in with Google or GitHub.

Included in the membership · See plans

Course outline

  1. Section 1

    12 seconds in 1903

    • About this course

      Lesson · 4 min

    • The morning of 17 December

      Lesson · 7 min

    • Assemble the Flyer

      Lesson · 9 min

  2. Section 2

    How a wing lifts

    • What does a wing do to the air?

      Lesson · 7 min

    • A very common wrong explanation

      Lesson · 6 min

    • How far can it tilt?

      Lesson · 5 min

    • Build the ribs

      Lesson · 6 min

  3. Section 3

    Why the wing doesn't snap

    • The wing carries the whole plane

      Lesson · 7 min

    • The wing's backbone

      Lesson · 7 min

    • Which way does the force go?

      Lesson · 7 min

  4. Section 4

    A thin skin that stays stiff

    • The secret of a soda can

      Lesson · 9 min

    • Raising the body on the bench

      Lesson · 10 min

    • Joining wing and body

      Lesson · 9 min

  5. Section 5

    Why a plane comes back by itself

    • Balancing a plane on one point

      Lesson · 9 min

    • Fitting the horizontal tail

      Lesson · 6 min

    • The weathervane

      Lesson · 7 min

    • Extra: flying with a different balance

      Lesson · 5 min

  6. Section 6

    Three ways to turn

    • Nod, shake and tilt

      Lesson · 8 min

    • From twisting wings to ailerons

      Lesson · 9 min

    • Two surfaces at the tail

      Lesson · 12 min

  7. Section 7

    From the hand to the control surfaces

    • Steering with your hips

      Lesson · 7 min

    • The path of a cable

      Lesson · 9 min

    • Letting the hand rest

      Lesson · 6 min

  8. Section 8

    Takeoff and landing

    • A rail on the sand

      Lesson · 7 min

    • The same weight, at a lower speed

      Lesson · 8 min

    • Touching down

      Lesson · 8 min

  9. Section 9

    The engine

    • Four steps

      Lesson · 9 min

    • Taking turns to push

      Lesson · 5 min

    • Two spark plugs for one cylinder

      Lesson · 5 min

    • What surrounds the engine

      Lesson · 6 min

  10. Section 10

    The propeller

    • A wing that spins

      Lesson · 8 min

    • Two chains, then one shaft

      Lesson · 7 min

  11. Section 11

    Fuel, oil, electricity

    • Fuel falls from the wing

      Lesson · 7 min

    • Oil does more than you think

      Lesson · 5 min

    • Electricity, and why spares exist

      Lesson · 8 min

  12. Section 12

    What a plane knows about itself

    • Two small holes, three dials

      Lesson · 6 min

    • Reading height from the air

      Lesson · 9 min

    • Spinning wheels, magnets and a horn

      Lesson · 8 min

  13. Section 13

    Build it and test-fly it

    • A walk around the plane

      Lesson · 5 min

    • Build one yourself

      Lesson · 7 min

    • The test flight

      Lesson · 7 min

    • From 12 seconds to today

      Lesson · 5 min

  14. Section 14

    Final exam

    • Final exam

      Quiz · 30 min

    • After the exam

      Lesson · 5 min