Lift of an airfoil is always:

Lift is a fundamental aerodynamic force generated by airfoils when they move through the air. It is essential to understand the relationship between lift and other aerodynamic forces such as drag, the flight path, and relative wind.

The first statement posits that lift is always perpendicular to drag. This relationship holds true because lift and drag are two distinct components of the total aerodynamic force acting on an airfoil. Lift acts vertically (or upwards in conventional flight), while drag acts horizontally (or rearward). The forces are orthogonal to one another in the context of the aerodynamic force vector representation, allowing designers and aerodynamicists to analyze the performance of an airfoil in flight.

The second statement defines lift as the component of aerodynamic force that is perpendicular to the relative wind. The relative wind refers to the direction of airflow relative to the wing or airfoil as it moves through the air. Since lift arises from the pressure differential created across the airfoil surface due to its interaction with the relative wind, this definition captures the essential physics behind lift generation.

The third statement states that lift is perpendicular to the flight path. The flight path is the trajectory that the aircraft follows through the air, which can deviate from the horizontal. Lift must act at a right angle to the