Science - Gravity and flight

For thousands of years, humans have been wishing to fly like birds. The Wright brothers made history with the first powered flight in 1903.  The design of an airplane is modeled after the birds. The various forces acting upon the aircraft must be calculated precisely to keep it up in the air and preventing it from falling down. Among many factors involved in the design, the two most important ones are:

1- Forces    2- Aerodynamic shape

Qur'an - Gravity and flight

In the verse 16:79 below, Qur’an draws our attention to the flight of the birds. However, it is hinting at two things:

Hint 1 - It mentions that nothing holds them except Allah. What does the action of holding and preventing it from falling involve? In other words, the verse is hinting at “forces”. The force that would pull the birds to the ground (gravity) and the forces that hold them in the sky (Allah’s Will and Design). The forces related to the function of the wings, feathers, and others related to the functionality of a bird’s body. Additionally, the other factors such as hot and cold air.

Hint 2 – The verse mentions the “birds” to draw attention to their design. In other words, their aerodynamic shape. Don’t we use the above ideas in designing aircrafts?! 

أَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ إِلَى ٱلطَّيْرِ مُسَخَّرَٰتٍ فِى جَوِّ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

Do they not look at the birds, held poised in the midst of (the air and) the sky? Nothing holds them up but (the power of) Allah. Verily in this are signs for those who believe. 16:79

Qur'an also mentions the "heavy clouds".  Obviously, this is a fact that was not known 1400 years ago and most people don't even know it today.  The verses make the reader curious as to why the clouds don't fall to the ground if they are heavy!  It also makes us think about the forces acting upon the body of a cloud (i.e., gravity and remaining in mid air).

هُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُرِيكُمُ ٱلْبَرْقَ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَيُنشِئُ ٱلسَّحَابَ ٱلثِّقَالَ

It is He who shows you lightening, [causing] fear and aspiration, and generates the heavy clouds.  13:12

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُرْسِلُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحَ بُشْرًۢا بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَحْمَتِهِۦ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَقَلَّتْ سَحَابًا ثِقَالًا

سُقْنَـٰهُ لِبَلَدٍ مَّيِّتٍ فَأَنزَلْنَا بِهِ ٱلْمَآءَ فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِۦ مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ كَذَٰلِكَ نُخْرِجُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

And it is He who sends the winds as good tidings before His mercy until, when they have carried heavy rainclouds, We drive them to a dead land and We send down rain therein and bring forth thereby [some] of all the fruits. Thus will We bring forth the dead; perhaps you may be reminded 7:57