Editing Lift (force) (section)

===Stalling===
{{Main|Stall (fluid dynamics)}}

[[File:1915ca abger fluegel (cropped and mirrored).jpg|thumb|300px|Airflow separating from a wing at a high angle of attack]]

An airfoil's maximum lift at a given airspeed is limited by [[Boundary layer separation|boundary-layer separation]]. As the angle of attack is increased, a point is reached where the boundary layer can no longer remain attached to the upper surface. When the boundary layer separates, it leaves a region of recirculating flow above the upper surface, as illustrated in the flow-visualization photo at right. This is known as the ''stall'', or ''stalling''. At angles of attack above the stall, lift is significantly reduced, though it does not drop to zero. The maximum lift that can be achieved before stall, in terms of the lift coefficient, is generally less than 1.5 for single-element airfoils and can be more than 3.0 for airfoils with high-lift slotted flaps and leading-edge devices deployed.<ref>Abbott and Doenhoff (1958), Chapter 8</ref>