Parasite Drag
Parasite drag is a direct result of the air resistance as the airplane flies through the air. There are three types of parasite drag, form drag, interference drag, and skin friction drag. Form drag results from the turbulence created as the air tries to flow around the aircraft. Aircraft with larger crosssections will have higher drag than thinner, more streamlined designs. Other items like the landing gear and the antennas on the aircraft will also create farm drag. Interference drag occurs in locations over the aircraft where different surfaces meet, for example where the wings atta to the fuselage. Placing two objects close together will create up to 200 percent more drag than if each object were separate. To minimize this, manufacturers will play smaller angled pieces at these locations.
Skin friction drag is caused by the rough imperfections of an airplane surface. A good example of this are the rivets located on the airplane skin. These bumps disrupt the airflow from otherwise flowing smoothly along the surface. Keeping the surfaces clean and waxed while also utilizing flush-mounted rivets will minimize the production of skin friction. The amount of parasite drag varies with the speed of the aircraft. As the airplane speed increases, the amount of parasite drag will also increase. In fact, the amount of parasite drag you experience is directly proportional to the square of the airspace. For example, an aircraft traveling at 100 and 20 knots will experience four times as much parasite drag as the same plane, going 60 knots at the same altitude.
Parasite drag is a direct result of the air resistance as the airplane flies through the air. There are three types of parasite drag, form drag, interference drag, and skin friction drag. Form drag results from the turbulence created as the air tries to flow around the aircraft. Aircraft with larger crosssections will have higher drag than thinner, more streamlined designs. Other items like the landing gear and the antennas on the aircraft will also create farm drag. Interference drag occurs in locations over the aircraft where different surfaces meet, for example where the wings atta to the fuselage. Placing two objects close together will create up to 200 percent more drag than if each object were separate. To minimize this, manufacturers will play smaller angled pieces at these locations.
Skin friction drag is caused by the rough imperfections of an airplane surface. A good example of this are the rivets located on the airplane skin. These bumps disrupt the airflow from otherwise flowing smoothly along the surface. Keeping the surfaces clean and waxed while also utilizing flush-mounted rivets will minimize the production of skin friction. The amount of parasite drag varies with the speed of the aircraft. As the airplane speed increases, the amount of parasite drag will also increase. In fact, the amount of parasite drag you experience is directly proportional to the square of the airspace. For example, an aircraft traveling at 100 and 20 knots will experience four times as much parasite drag as the same plane, going 60 knots at the same altitude.