Mmm, thanks for replying guys, but I am not sure that I get this at all. It's obvious that my original post was a gross oversimplification and that something else is actually going on during flight, that is what I was trying to get at.

Your examples of angles of attack do not quite fit in with a lot of models. Take for example my 3D profile planes which have no angle of attack, the wing section and tailplane being exactly parrallel. The wing section is fully symmetrical with exactly the same camber on both sides. This section is chosen for several reasons, e.g. maneouverabilty and invered flight. How then does it create lift that is not cancelled out by the inverse side of the aerofoil?

Crasherboy, spacecraft do not "fly" in outerspace but rely on the main engines for thrust and much smaller thruster nozzles for attitude changes. It is only when, for instance, the shuttle enters atmosphere that the control surface can have any effect on direction at all.

Regards.