Aerodynamics and Flight: Wings and Lift, Part 1 - Airflow, Pressure, Momentum

Lift is not a vague miracle. It is a force produced by a pressure difference over the wing, which itself comes from the wing's shape and angle of attack. A cambered airfoil produces lift at zero geometric angle; a symmetric one needs positive angle. Either way, the wing turns airflow, creating circulation and a pressure imbalance that yields an upward-directed component of aerodynamic force.