How is lift really generated?

[asly2186]

Alright: I've been getting interested into airplanes and the likes quite a lot recently, and one thing that i find difficult to grasp is how lift is created. From the videos and stuff I've seen, it sounds like lift is generated by pressure differences between the top and bottom of the wing. Which is caused by a high pressure area at the leading edge of the top of the wing (at a positive AoA) which gets sucked into the void at the back of the wing where air has been displaced. This causes , According to Bernoullli, lower pressure on top causing the higher pressure at the bottom to push the wing up.

So what's wrong with that? I know that a lot of people claim that pressure differences have very little to do with it, and that its all air being deflected down, as opposed to the wing basically being sucked up. And if it is air being deflected down, then that would mean that the wing isn't moving up, but just being pushed forward at the same angle as its AoA? Or is this what actually happens?

As you can tell I'm very confused, and decided to stop trying to figure it out myself and let other people do it for me. If you'd be so obliged.

 

[Navin A S]

The pressure differences do play a role in generating lift, however it is not the only factor. As you mentioned, air is also deflected down as it passes over the wing, creating an upward force. This is known as the Coanda effect. The Coanda effect is caused by the air flowing over the curved surface of the wing, which causes it to stick to the surface and be directed downward. This creates the downward force which acts in opposition to gravity, providing lift. At the same time, the air pressure on the bottom of the wing is higher than that on the top, due to the Bernoulli principle, which further contributes to the lift generated. Therefore, the combination of the Coanda effect and Bernoulli principle is responsible for the lift generated by an airplane's wings.