Ed Regis su Scientific American esamina le principali teorie che spiegano dal punto di vista matematico i motivi per cui gli aerei volano, dato che nonostante sia passato oltre un secolo dalla loro invenzione, ci sono ancora diversi punti oscuri che dividono la comunità scientifica.
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On a strictly mathematical level, engineers know how to design planes that will stay aloft. But equations don’t explain why aerodynamic lift occurs.
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There are two competing theories that illuminate the forces and factors of lift. Both are incomplete explanations.
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Aerodynamicists have recently tried to close the gaps in understanding. Still, no consensus exists.
In December 2003, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first flight of the Wright brothers, the New York Times ran a story entitled “Staying Aloft; What Does Keep Them Up There?” The point of the piece was a simple question: What keeps planes in the air? To answer it, the Times turned to John D. Anderson, Jr., curator of aerodynamics at the National Air and Space Museum and author of several textbooks in the field.
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