Pressure

The air across the top of a conventional airfoil experiences constricted flow lines and
increased air speed relative to the wing. This causes a decrease in pressure on the top
according to the Bernoulli equation and provides a lift force. Aerodynamicists (see Eastlake)
use the Bernoulli model to correlate with pressure measurements made in wind tunnels, and
assert that when pressure measurements are made at multiple locations around the airfoil and
summed, they do agree reasonably with the observed lift.

Others appeal to a model based on

Newton's laws and assert that the main lift
comes as a result of the angle of attack.
Part of the Newton's law model of part of
the lift force involves attachment of the
boundary layer of air on the top of the
wing with a resulting downwash of air
behind the wing. If the wing gives the air
a downward force, then by Newton's third
law, the wing experiences a force in the
opposite direction - a lift. While the
"Bernoulli vs Newton" debate continues,
Eastlake's position is that they are really
equivalent, just different approaches to the
same physical phenonenon. NASA has a
nice aerodynamics site at which these
issues are discussed. Index

Increasing the angle of attack gives a Bernoulli

larger lift from the upward component of Equation
pressure on the bottom of the wing. The
lift force can be considered to be a References
Newton's 3rd law reaction force to the Eastlake
force exerted downward on the air by the
Illustration of lift force wing.
and angle of attack
At too high an angle of attack, turbulent NASA
Bernoulli vs Newton flow increases the drag dramatically and Aerodynamics
for airfoil lift will stall the aircraft.
Airfoil terminology

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/pber.html[13/03/2018 2:00:20 PM]