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How do airplanes actually fly? - Raymond Adkins

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TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

By 1917, Albert Einstein had explained the relationship between space and time. But, that year, he designed a flawed airplane wing. His attempt was based on an incomplete theory of how flight works. Indeed, insufficient and inaccurate explanations still circulate today. So, where did Einstein go wrong? And how exactly do planes fly? Raymond Adkins explains the concept of aerodynamic lift.

There is a ____ pressure region above the wing and a ____ pressure region below the wing.

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Raymond Adkins
  • Director Michael Kalopaidis, Zedem Media
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Storyboard Artist Jeanne Bornet
  • Animator Rebecca Stylianou
  • Art Director Jeanne Bornet
  • Sound Designer Andreas Trachonitis
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Producer Anna Bechtol
  • Associate Producer Abdallah Ewis
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Editorial Producer Cella Wright
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler

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