GPT-5 Demo Mistake About Bernoulli Effect
16 days ago
- #aviation
- #lift-theory
- #aerodynamics
- The 'Longer Path' or 'Equal Transit Time' theory of lift is widely circulated but incorrect.
- The theory incorrectly assumes air molecules must travel faster over the longer top surface of an airfoil to meet at the trailing edge, leading to lower pressure and lift.
- Experiments show that symmetric airfoils (with equal top and bottom lengths) and flat plates (like paper airplanes) can generate lift, disproving the necessity of a longer top surface.
- The actual flow over an airfoil is much faster than the 'Equal Transit' theory predicts, with particles over the top arriving at the trailing edge before those underneath.
- While Bernoulli's principle correctly relates faster flow to lower pressure, the 'Equal Transit' theory's velocity assumption is non-physical and leads to incorrect lift predictions.
- The FoilSim II Java Applet is recommended for further investigation into lift factors.