how does a wing work?

Question

So full disclosure I personally understand Bernoulli’s principle and understand how a wing works due to it.

Here’ is what I need. My 5 year old son loves planes, and loves watching birds fly. As such he is asking questions of how a bird’s wing works vs how an airplane’s wing works. I can’t seem to simplify down Bernoulli’s to the extent that he can understand how a wing works. So I’m coming to you all for advice.

In: 19

Answer 1

Run and slide on file/linoleum floor in your socks.

Now, if you had an umbrella over your head and you ran and slid you could use the umbrella to either stop (point it forward) or maybe even lift you (if you angled it back behind you just the right way). The umbrella would catch the air and lift you off your feet.

Now, an umbrella is actually the wrong shape, what we need is a wing. A wing is just the right shape to lift you off your feet (if you can run as fast as a car). People actually do this with hang-gliders and parasailing (show them a video).

So a wing works because it’s the right shape to push the air underneath it down and lift itself (and whatever is attached to it) up.