In article ,
brian whatcott wrote:

Alan Baker wrote:

No one understands "suction" to actually mean a pulling force.

Remember folks: no more talk of sucking soda through a straw!
Just suck it up!

... don't pretend that there is a force acting upward on the surface
of the liquid inside the straw...

...because you'll be wrong.


You still don't get it Alan. This level of attention to minutiae is
impressive in Junior High science classes, and paradoxically is quite
correct but trivial. Get over it.

Just so you can savor the general idea - let me phrase the general
concept so it won't trip your OC reaction:
In the general case, two thirds of the lift provided by a wing is due to
the depression over the upper surface - (actually towards the front...)
and a third due to the air flow over the lower surface.

THERE. Are you happy now?

Brian W

I was happy to begin with. Read my initial reply:

"Ummmm...

It sort of depends what you mean.

If you mean that suction is actually providing an upward force, you're
quite mistaken.

If you mean that the difference in pressure between upper and lower
surfaces is 2/3 the result of lower pressure on the upper surface, then
you might be right. I don't know."

You see, I never had any problem sorting out the "minutiae" from the
important. But a whole bunch of people (well, *some* people) jumped in
and certainly made statements that they actually believe the air was
pulling up on the wing.

--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
http://gallery.me.com/alangbaker/100008/DSCF0162/web.jpg