zlacker

>>qqqqqu+(OP)
Flight. Apparently "air flows faster on the top side of the wing, lowering the pressure" is an incomplete explanation; I even heard we don't completely understand why it works (?!?).

>>tomp+fl
It directs air moving horizontally downwards, by conservation of momentum the wing must get additional upwards momentum, called lift.

>>contra+Cn
That can't be the explanation, otherwise wings wouldn't need to be curved - flat wings could fly, as long as they're tilted to redirect the air.

>>tomp+Qn
I think this is actually a good explanation of the lift force, but lots of other factors come in to play for wing shape. Two other big factors are drag forces, which are dependent on the surface area, air density and the velocity of the craft, and so there's a complicated optimisation problem there, and turbulence, which depends a lot on the wing tilt, and the the shape of the wing.