Lift

Abstract

We have seen that the drag on an obstacle placed in a flow arises essentially from viscous action (Sections 10.5,11.5 and 11.6), whereas the generation of lift on a suitably shaped obstacle can be understood, at least in a general sense, from inviscid theory (Section 10.6). In fact viscous action also enters into the process of lift generation in an essential, although more subtle, way. We now look at the reasons for and consequences of this.