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What really allows airplanes to fly?

David Z · 2010
Stack Exchange · Datasets · License: CC BY-SA · 2010
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aerodynamicsaircraftfluid-dynamicsphysics
What aerodynamic effects actually contribute to producing the lift on an airplane? I know there's a common belief that lift comes from the Bernoulli effect, where air moving over the wings is at reduced pressure because it's forced to travel further than air flowing under the wings. But I also know that this is wrong, or at best a minor contribution to the actual lift. The thing is, none of the many sources I've seen that discredit the Bernoulli effect explain what's actually going on, so I'm left wondering. Why do airplanes actually fly? Is this something that can be explained or summarized at a level appropriate for someone who isn't trained in fluid dynamics? (Links to further reading for more detail would also be much appreciated)
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