I'm extremely sceptical about the wikipedia page on aircraft flight mechanics. When describing 'straight climbing flight', it says:
lift is unable to alter the aircraft's potential energy or kinetic energy
This seems like nonsense to me, given that 'lift acts perpendicular to the vector representing the velocity of the aircraft relative to the atmosphere'. In other words, I think there is always a vertical component of lift (except for the conditions where angle of attack for non-cambered aerofoil is 0 or 180 degrees). The reason I want to know this, is it also claims that
in straight climbing flight, lift is less than weight
I also can't believe that this is always the case, since an aerofoil can generate lift when it has a zero angle of attack if it is cambered. So if the aeroplane is going fast enough, not only can the lift can exceed the weight, but just the vertical component of lift can exceed the weight.
I'd appreciate criticisms of my understanding as well as the wikipedia page. (I wonder if it's an incorrect interpretation of the source, 'Aerodynamics' by Clancy).
Thanks