Flight Theory - It's An Unsolved Science Dilemma (1 Viewer)

S

Seashore

Well-known member

• Oct 8, 2020

• #1

Believe it or not there is no scientifically verifiable explanation of why wings produce lift and the smaller the critter the more baffling it becomes. I love watching pelicans fly. They don't know the theory of flight has gone west. Both main theories that have been around for years have problems and there is yet still no definitive answer, so be careful getting on the next aeroplane.

My pelicans can be seen on

https://www.ararelitus.com/birds-1

 

Jonno52

John (a bad birdwatcher)

Supporter

• Oct 8, 2020

• #2

Seashore said:

Believe it or not there is no scientifically verifiable explanation of why wings produce lift[/url]

Click to expand...

I was listening to Radio 4 recently (can't remember which programme) and heard precisely this asserted by someone with scientific credentials. It came as a surprise! But clearly, as you say, the phenomenon remains unexplained.

 

Mono

Hi!

Staff member

Supporter

• Oct 8, 2020

• #3

Of course there is a scientific explanation of flight! There just isn't a simple scientific explanation of flight.

It is an example of my universal mantra "...but it is more complicated than that..."

Have a look here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF22LM8AbII

If you can come up with a general smooth solution to the Navier-Stokes Equation you can win yourself £1000000!

 

S

Seashore

Well-known member

• Oct 9, 2020

• #4

Hi Jonno52 & Mono, I enjoyed looking at the link and thanks for the replies; however there are scientific explanations for lots of things, but are they correct... you could look at the following from Scientific American that explains why the "mystery" is still a mystery... in their view... that is what science always gets down to in the end.

I was told by my aerodynamics instructor years ago that everything he was telling us was correct except the bumble bee can't fly.

A friend of mine suggested we ask a pelican... he or she should know!!!

 

S

Seashore

Well-known member

• Oct 9, 2020

• #5

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/no-one-can-explain-why-planes-stay-in-the-air/

Is the link...

 

Mono

Hi!

Staff member

Supporter

• Oct 9, 2020

• #6

The Scientific American article is basically a recapitulation of the video I linked to. The mystery element is just clickbait.