How does wing span affect drag?

“Yes, wingspan will affect flight, however there will be a point where the size of the wingspan will create too much weight and drag to be effective. For a glider, which a paper airplane is the more lift the glider has the longer it can fly. However, you must keep the weight and drag in check to avoid flight failure.”

What does induced drag depend on?

Induced Drag Coefficient. There are many factors which influence the amount of aerodynamic drag which a body generates. Drag depends on the shape, size, inclination, and flow conditions of the air passing the object.

What is induced power?

Induced power is the power required to maintain enough lift to overcome the force of gravity. One can view this as the force required to accelerate enough air downwards (at speed ) to push the bird upwards enough to counteract the force of gravity ( ).

Does an infinite wing have induced drag?

A wing of infinite span and uniform airfoil section would experience no induced drag. The drag characteristics of such an airfoil section can be measured on a scale-model wing spanning the width of a wind tunnel. More recent aircraft have wingtip mounted winglets to reduce the induced drag.

What increases induced drag?

Induced drag increases as the angle of attack of a wing increases. Induced drag therefore increases as airspeed decreases, as the angle of attack must increase to maintain the lift required for level flight. Parasite drag has little effect at low speeds, however it increases as airspeed increases.

How does induced drag change with velocity?

Induced drag therefore increases as airspeed decreases, as the angle of attack must increase to maintain the lift required for level flight. Induced drag also increases as aircraft weight or wing loading increases, as the angle of attack must increase to produce the lift required to maintain level flight.

How do you calculate induced drag force?

The induced drag coefficient Cdi is equal to the square of the lift coefficient Cl divided by the quantity: pi(3.14159) times the aspect ratio AR times an efficiency factor e. The aspect ratio is the square of the span s divided by the wing area A.