From: Steven Eiger (eiger@montana.edu)
Date: Wed Nov 29 2000 - 10:40:11 PST
Message-Id: <l03102801b64afc99e15d@[153.90.150.107]> Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 11:40:11 -0700 From: Steven Eiger <eiger@montana.edu> Subject: Re: pinhole Upside-down stunt planes
Sidney, My understanding is that the upward forces on an airplane come from
both phenomena. I have heard that Bernoulli forces, or at least the
equations describing them are restricted to being correct in closed spaces.
It is likely that in open air, thye have less of an effect, yet probably
not zero effect. My guess is that the angle of attack? of the wing is
different when flying upside down to account for the downward vector added
by the quasi-Bernoulli effects. Someone posted some web sites on all this
which looks as if they really know what they are talking about. I am
passing on hearsay here.
>If the Bernoulli explanation is right, and the lift comes from the shape of
>the wing slowing down the air on top, I've never been able to understand why
>stunt pilots can fly their airplanes upside-down. Wouldn't they be pushed
>down to the ground? The Newton explanation, by contrast, holds good for
>upside-down airplanes too.
Steven Eiger, Ph.D.
Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience and the WWAMI Medical Education
Program
PO Box 173148
Montana State University - Bozeman
Bozeman, MT 59717-3148
Voice: (406) 994-5672
E-mail: eiger@montana.edu
FAX: (406) 994-7077
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