flight makes no sense


How is it that a metal tube weighing about 2.5 million kilograms, laden with a cargo of 2.5 million kilograms - human and otherwise, manages to take to the air and move through the apparent void of atmospheric nothingness? It makes no sense. Not from down here looking up, not from up there looking down.

Ok. So, channeling Isaac Newton the great, a certain Leonhard Euler explained the concept thoroughly way back in 1754.  To paraphrase - a curved body moving through fluid (air, say) experiences a difference in pressure from the fluid above and below it. This pressure gradient creates movement of the body in the direction of the pressure gradient, creating 'lift' (or dip, depending).  This lift is proportional to the velocity and angle of interaction of the body and fluid. Offsetting lift against gravity thus is how these gigantic metallic birds, and flesh-and-blood ones too in fact (albeit slightly differently), take to the air as if by magic.

I am well aware of the above. I'm an engineer :). Still makes no sense nevertheless. And it scares the proverbial out of me.




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