Spoiled for choice

Until the mid-1940s, the only method of lift generation was by means of attached flow on a fixed, or occasionally, a rotating wing. From the descrip­tions above, you will see that nowadays, several different methods are used. In addition, as we show later, even with a conventional wing, the physical mech­anism of lift generation changes at high speeds and at very high altitudes.

We will deal with the details and implications of these newer methods in subsequent chapters. In the next chapter we show how the generation of lift by a wing also involves strong three-dimensional features.

Recommended further reading

Abbott, I. A., and von Doenhoff, A. E., Theory of wing sections, Dover Publications, New York, 1949.

Fay, John, The helicopter: history, piloting and how it flies, 4th edn, David and Charles, Newton Abbot, UK, 1987, ISBN 0715389408. An updated edition of a popular book that gives a good general introduction to the subject of helicopters.

Seddon, J., and Newman, S., Basic helicopter aerodynamics, 2nd edn, Blackwell, London, 2002, ISBN 9780632052837.