Worth a look.
That's a useful site, Shawn. The main lesson that sticks in my mind about aerodynamics is that it is a complex area, where the best that can be done is to approximate the physics. The fact that computer intensive CFD is still producing design improvements demonstrates this.
The way i came to understand lift is:
1. Coanda effect causes air to follow aerofoil shape (boundary layer rotates air into surface).
2. Aerofoil shape in flow causes a circulation component around foil.
3. Circulation around foil causes lift force, as per Bernoulli equations.
4. Finite wing span allows unbounded tip vortices.
5. Tip vortices produce overall downwash across wing.
6. Overall downwash requires additional increase in AOA, and thus produces induced drag.
7. The wing circulation component and tip vortex are part of a horseshow vortex, producing a downwash within the vortex.
The maths can get very heavy, and often obscures the underlying principles.
Basically a wing throws air at the ground...
Mart
Last edited by Graviman; 15th Jan 2007 at 15:58.
Reason: Added point seven.