If the "longer path" creates lift, then an airplane flying upside-down would have the "longer path" on the bottom, forcing the air there to move faster. This would create a lower pressure on the bottom surface, creating a downward force that would pull the plane to the ground. Yet, aerobatic planes routinely fly upside-down, proving the fallacy of this explanation.
A wing moves through a fluid, forcing the fluid to deform and flow around its shape. understanding aerodynamics arguing from the real physics pdf
Air molecules split at the front and must meet at the back at the same time. If the "longer path" creates lift, then an
On a lifting wing, a localized low-pressure zone develops over the upper surface, while a higher static pressure zone forms underneath. A wing moves through a fluid, forcing the
The mechanism that enables this is . The wing bends the air, creating a low-pressure region above and a high-pressure region below. The "real physics" approach emphasizes the Kutta condition: the flow must leave the sharp trailing edge smoothly, which sets the circulation strength. Viscosity and the Boundary Layer