🛩️ Flight Simulator — Lift, Drag & Stall

Control a 2D aircraft using pitch (↑↓ keys or buttons). Set thrust and wing area to explore how angle of attack, airspeed, altitude, and lift interact. Exceed the critical AoA and the aircraft stalls!

Aircraft Settings

Thrust (kN) 40 kN Wing area (m²) 80 m² Aircraft mass (t) 30 t

Pitch Control

or use ↑ ↓ arrow keys

✓ Normal flight

Flight Data

Airspeed—

Altitude—

Vertical speed—

Pitch / AoA—

Lift—

Drag—

L/D ratio—

Physics:
L = ½·ρ·C_L(α)·A·v²
D = ½·ρ·C_D(α)·A·v²
C_L(α) ≈ 2π·α (linear)
Stall at α > 15°

Aerodynamic Stall

An aircraft generates lift because the wing's angle of attack (AoA) deflects air downwards. As AoA increases, lift coefficient C_L increases linearly — up to the critical angle (~15°). Beyond it, airflow separates from the upper wing surface, lift drops sharply, and drag spikes. This is called a stall. Stall speed depends on aircraft mass, wing area, and air density. Recovery requires reducing AoA (nose down) and regaining airspeed. Stalls at low altitude are dangerous because there may not be enough height to recover.