What keeps a paper airplane in the air?

This keeps the airplane balanced. Don't forget the pilot! Image Credit: NASA. Thrust is the force that moves the airplane forward. Engines give thrust to airplanes. Sometimes an engine turns a propeller. Sometimes it is a jet engine. It doesn't matter as long as air keeps going over the wings. Drag slows the airplane. read more

It is the combined forces of lift, thrust and weight that keeps an airplane in the air. Lift happens to be the largest force in this equation, and is dependent on the speed of the wing (or how fast an airplane is going), vertical velocity of air and air density. read more

With airplanes, gravity works against lift by pulling the airplane toward the ground. Thrust is the force that causes the plane to move forward through the air. In a real airplane, this is produced by the turning propellers or jet engine. With a paper airplane, the thrust is produced when you throw the plane into the air. read more