Mainstream science has no explanation in terms of fundamental physics for the phenomenon of flight. The usual explanation involving Bernoulli’s principle is not fundamental, is irrelevant to this particular problem and is, in any case, not sound science. A better solution is that a vortex system is induced above the wing, thereby creating the necessary low pressure volume needed to provide ‘lift’.
The conventional explanation
The conventional explanation is that the curved profile of the wing somehow results in faster flowing air over the top of the wing and that this inevitably creates a volume of low pressure somehow. The wing moves from high to low pressure and the plane ascends.
So the air that flows over the wing has a longer surface to travel along and gets acceleration due to aerodynamics, running at a higher speed than the air below. In this way, a pressure difference is created between the air above and below the wings generating a lifting force under them that facilitates the aircraft’s suspension in the air. – World Aviation Flight Academy
Nothing in this explanation is credible and none of it has any foundation in either experimental evidence or fundamental theory.
Incorrect Lift Theory (NASA) – Tom Benson
https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/VirtualAero/BottleRocket/airplane/wrong1.html
- In order for air to accelerate some sort of force is necessary and it is not explained where this force comes from
- The explanation ‘gets acceleration due to aerodynamics’ is insufficient
- Any explanation that the air moves faster in order to get to the other side in time is not an explanation in terms of basic physics
- The two streams do not reach the trailing edge at the same time anyhow
- The calculated lift is much less than the observed lift
- It is not explained in terms of fundamental theory how high flow rate is causal in the production of low pressure. An association between the two depends upon the specific circumstances
- The flow over a wing does not look like this in practice
- Aeroplanes can fly upside down
- Supersonic aircraft have flat profile wings
- Experiments purporting to demonstrate Bernoulli’s principle are hoaxes (see video below)
A solution from vortex physics
Aeronautical engineers are in agreement that ‘lift’ is created via the formation of a low pressure volume above the wings of a plane, but are puzzled as to how this phenomenon should arise in the first place.
Hypothesis: ‘Lift’ is actually created by the formation of vortex structures on the upper side of the wing. The structures are analogous to a tornado, which initially moves air inwards, whence it is then directed upwards, thereby creating a low pressure area by actually removing a volume of air from the central location.
In the case of an aeroplane, the air along the wing is directed towards the wing tips where the vortices are seen to ‘shed’. The vortices keep pace with the wing and the continual transport of air away from the body of the plane towards the wing-tips is what maintains the low pressure volume above the wings and provides the lift.
The general properties of vortices
- Vortices are certainly present in flight
- Vortices possess self-organising properties
- Many smaller structures may merge to form a larger structure
- Smaller vortices may remain separate
- Vortices are certainly powerful enough to have a measurable effect on flight and engineers spend considerable effort in trying to reduce the degree of drag caused by such
- Air is moved inwards at first towards the vortex centre and then longitudinally along the vortex structure
- A pressure gradient is always formed with pressure decreasing towards the centre of the vortex
- The pressure gradient causes adiabatic cooling of the air towards the centre
- This cooling can cause condensation of water vapour and even the formation of ice crystals as is seen in the case of tornadoes
- Vortex formation is a ‘least energy’ solution to fluid flow and is therefore the default flow structure in most situations
- A vortex layer at the wing surface is an obvious solution to the no-slip boundary condition
A visualisation (above) of the creation of a turbulent vortex layer on the upper surface of a wing.
The idea is that these eddies quickly self-organise into a coherent structure which moves air towards the wing tips and cools the air as it does so. This can be seen in the shot below, where a condensation cloud above the wings indicates the presence of low pressure whilst the transported air is shed as helical vortices from the wing tips, again displaying condensation effects.
The image is taken from the video below which is worth watching in its entirety.
The diffuse clouds above the wings form as the plane increases in speed and a split second later we see the helical shedding from the wing tips. This is supportive of the idea that the wing-tip vortices actually originate from the larger surface area of the wing as a whole.
In the wake of the aeroplane, truly giant vortices are seen. We can ask where the required energy came from to enable these formations; did it really just come from the wing tips disturbing the air flow?
More likely the energy came from the total disturbance caused by the movement of the whole plane. Vortices form at the wing surface, self-organise into larger vortices or filaments, move to the wing tips, are shed in helical form where they re-organise yet again according to climatic conditions and finally form the spectacular formations we see in some of the clips.
The constant adaptation of shape is typical of vortex structures.
Delta wings
Delta wings are not only a different shape as compared to conventional wings, but also have a flatter profile which effectively rules out the Bernoulli principle as a source of lift.
So how do they work?
The vortex structures simply adapt to the local environment, arranging themselves longitudinally along the wings and thereby providing the required lift.
Mainstream lectures
Many lectures by mainstream engineers are available to highlight the problems with conventional explanations.