The induced drag coefficient () quantifies the amount of induced drag per unit lift generated by an aircraft. It’s a dimensionless parameter that is often used in aerodynamic analyses to assess the efficiency of the aircraft’s wing design. A lower induced drag coefficient indicates a more efficient wing design in terms of minimizing induced drag for a given lift coefficient. The formula to calculate induced drag coefficient as follows:
Where:
- is the coefficient of lift,
- is the aspect ratio of the wing,
- is the Oswald efficiency factor.
- CDi is the Induced drag coefficient.