💨 Airflow around a wing, aerodynamic force, lift
Every object that moves through air interacts with it by creating an aerodynamic force. The speed of movement of a wing through the air is called airspeed (V). Airspeed and aerodynamic force exist, no matter if the wing moves through the air or the air moves around a stationary wing, as in aerodynamic tunnel, for example. Any force can be split into different components based on different coordinate (reference) systems. The aerodynamic force (R) depends on the direction and speed of movement; the direction and speed of air flow around the wing (the vector of airspeed V). The component perpendicular to V is called lift (Ry), and the component opposite to V is called drag (Rx). Furthermore, we’ll continue using these popular names, but we must remember that these are not independent forces but only components of a single force – the full aerodynamic force R.
Lift and drag are convenient for a basic explanation of how a wing works. A wing is more efficient if it produces more lift and less drag. Lift can be created by: ▶ an airflow around a body that is asymmetrically positioned in it; ▶ an airflow around a body that has an asymmetrical shape; ▶ a combination of both above – an airflow flowing around an asymmetrically positioned body with an asymmetrical shape.
When a symmetrical body is placed asymmetrically in airflow, the airflow causes pressure on its exposed surface and creates an aerodynamic force perpendicular to it.
