A stall occurs when you exceed the critical angle of attack, but apparently something called boundary layer separation is a part of that. So, does the boundary layer help generate lift? I get Bernoulli; I’ve read that the boundary layer forms around the airfoil because air has viscosity; I’ve read about the laminar flow, transition point, turbulent flow, etc.; but I don’t get the relationship between the boundary layer and stalls, specifically the relationship between boundary layer separation and stalls and if the boundary layer actually assists in generating lift.
Please explain this so a chimp can grasp it, and please try to explain it in a manner directed towards pilots. I’ll read an encyclopedia-length post if you take the time to type it.
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Thank you.
In: 4
Under normal conditions the air flowing over the top of the wing stays close to the wing and the pulling the air down contributes to lift.
At a high angle of attack the flow is disrupted. Instead of a smooth flow the boundary layer separates from the wing, the flow becomes turbulent, and because the air is no longer being directed downward there is no lift. There’s a nice photo [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_separation)
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