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Old March 3rd, 2006, 19:32   #16
seagull
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Actually, you are not correct. Although you can use the amount of air deflected downward to MEASURE lift, it does not CAUSE lift, as the downwash itself is a RESULT of the rotational motion of the air around the wing, and that rotational force leads to the differential in relative flow velocity around the wing, and THAT is what leads to lower pressure over the wing that actually is the lifting force.

There is no "bernoulli vs. newton" in actual aero, as the bernoulli flow and equations are based off of newton, essentially.

Saying that lift is caused by downward deflecting air is a true misapplication of, and misunderstanding of, Newtons laws. It is rather like saying magnetism is a result of iron being attracted to a magnet and that explains magnetism. While that might show how a magnet acts, it is far from how a magnet is actually creating that force to begin with!

Objects move because they are pushed, regardless of what causes that pushing force (can be differential air pressure, magnetic force or even gravity!).
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