The Spirit of St. Louis: The Man, The Machine-The Legacy
Robert W. Mellette
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The basic element essential for the flight of a fixed-wing aircraft is THRUST. This force can be generated from a motor driven propeller, a jet engine, or from rocket propulsion. In the case of Lindbergh’s plane, a 220 horsepower Wright Whirlwind radial engine drove the propeller that provided the necessary THRUST to keep the “Spirit” aloft.
In effect, a propeller acts like a revolving wing. The rotary action of this airfoil changes the engine power to the force called THRUST. This force is produced due to the fact that the configuration of the propeller blade creates an area of lower air pressure at the face of the whirling blades. The pressure differential created creates a forward force called THRUST. Also, the stream of air directed rearward causes an opposite and equal reaction forward in agreement with Newton’s Third Law of Motion.