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Is Airflow Distance Over the Top of a Wing Always Longer?

Lets Go Aviate 381,921 11 months ago
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There's a dumb argument I see and hear everywhere that goes "If lift is created by the air over the top of the wing following a longer path than the air below the wing, then inverted flight would have been impossible." I've never understood the logic of this argument, but I've also never tried to explain why the argument is stupid, so here goes. Checkout my "highly controversial" airplane propeller video here: https://youtu.be/hvboi6w1Z9A Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lets_go_aviate/ Images attribution: Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub | RC Plane-author RCModelPlane (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcmodelplane/40151526122/in/photostream/) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/) overlaid speech bubble Photograph of a airfoil in a wind tunnel-author unknown, released by Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/de/deed.en) cropped, zoom-in + overlaid orange dot SPvortex (Schempp-Hirth Janus C glider)-author Dhaluza (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en) no changes Video clips attribution: Centriptal Force: Tennis Ball on a String by North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (https://youtu.be/B0G_6awN6fA), license CC-BY GIANT!! Spacewalker RC plane - Wings & Wheels 2021 by BRAVO303 (https://youtu.be/W2WVHL4RHB0), license CC-BY Inverted flying with FunCub by Hung Chuan Andre Tay (https://youtu.be/br6D_CiOk0I), license CC-BY EF Edge 540 60cc Petrol RC Plane Bickley Model Club by BRAVO303 (https://youtu.be/3ZnJw6Z4sb0), license CC-BY Chasing the upside down plane | FPV 4k footage by Kirek_fpv (https://youtu.be/OhHraDnNDQ8), lincese CC-BY Chapters: 0:00 The Dumb Argument 0:42 Wider Context that MUST BE UNDERSTOOD 2:01 Wing Loading and Angle of Attack 4:05 Principles of an Airplane Flying Upside-down 6:06 How Lift is Created - Let's Put This to Bed 9:42 Myth busted! (and disclaimer)

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