Wetted area refers to the total surface area of an aircraft component that is in contact with and exposed to the airstream during flight. This includes the external surfaces of the fuselage, wings, empennage, and other protruding elements. The wetted area is a crucial parameter for assessing skin friction drag, as it represents the portion of the aircraft that contributes to aerodynamic resistance due to friction with the surrounding air. The formula to calculate Wetted area as follows:
Where:
- A is the flat plate area in m2.
- Φf is the Form factor drag,