The drag coefficient is defined as the ratio of the drag force (D) experienced by the aircraft to the dynamic pressure (q) and the reference area (A) exposed to the airflow.
- Cdf: Drag coefficient for an aircraft at a specific flight condition.
- CD0: Parasite drag coefficient, representing the aircraft’s zero-lift drag or the drag when the aircraft is not producing any lift. It includes various forms of drag, such as form drag and skin friction drag.
- k: A constant that represents the coefficient of induced drag, which is related to the production of lift. It depends on the aircraft’s design and wing characteristics.
- α: Angle of attack, which is the angle between the oncoming air and the chord line of the aircraft’s wing.