Drag

Aerodynamics

Resistance of a vehicle body to motion through the air. A smooth surface has less drag than a rough one.

It may be broken down into three main components:

1. skin friction: this is drag due to the surface texture and area.
2. profile drag: this is drag from the three-dimensional shape of the aircraft/vehicle.
3. service drag: this is drag from air ducted to cooling components.

Materials

The bottom half of a horizontally parted mould.

See also: Aerodynamic Force, Drag Coefficient, Lift Coefficient, Rolling Resistance, Vehicle Aerodynamic Drag.

Further reading:
• Mechanics of Flight, D.R. Philpott, A.C. Kermode, R.H. Barnard, Prentice-Hall