I reject the "idea" of streamline, as it is just an idea, and idea do not fly.
Better not tell that to a aerodynamicist. There are so many misconceptions posted on this thread that I've scanned pages from the bible of how lift is created, "Theory of Wing Sections" by Ira Abbott and Albert Von Doenhoff. Some heavy maths, but never the less the text should shed a little light.
He just did
Abbot & von D is heavy on math. I've just located a better article by Arvel Gentry than the one I have been recommending which covers the same ground but without the maths. It talks about lift from sails, but it is all equally applicable to wings. It even describes how you get lift from a flying barndoor, so it should help those who think in those terms!
I can't see how to scan and post via photobucket but you can find it here:
http://www.arvelgentry.com/techs/A%2...l%20Theory.pdf
The bits you want are sections 2 to5
I think you will find it deals pretty clearly with most of the issues that have been raised in this thread. But as Gentry himself said in an interview:
Arvel notes: "Aerodynamics is a difficult subject, and all attempts to simplify it for the average person leads to wrong interpretations. The facts are that lift comes about because air has viscosity, which leads to the starting vortex. This is followed by the formation of a circulation field about the airfoil necessary to meet one of Helmoltz's theorems of vortex motion. Then the Kutta condition is satisfied at the trailing edge, and bingo -- we have lift. These principles, together with knowledge of boundary layer theory, lead to a correct understanding of the interaction between the jib and the mainsail."
Easy for him to say, right?
Gentry puts is as "You can't just sit there and stare at your navel and come up with conclusions."