Forces Acting on An Airplane There are four forces acting on the airplane all the time during airplane is flying.The four forces are (1) Lift, (2) Gravity force or Weight, (3) Thrust, and (4) Drag. Lift and Drag are considered aerodynamics forces because they exist due to the movement of the Airplane through the Air. Lift: is produced by a lower pressure created on the upper surface of an airplane's wings compared to the pressure on the wing's lower surfaces,causing the wing to be LIFTED upward. The special shape of the airplane wing (airfoil) is designed so that air flowing over it will have to travel a greater distance and faster resulting in a lower pressure area (see illustration) thus lifting the wing upward. Lift is that force which opposes the force of gravity (or weight). Lift depends upon (1) shape of the airfoil (2) the angle of attack (3) the area of the surface exposed to the airstream (4) the square of the air speed (5) the air density. Weight: The weight acts vert...