Induced drag is one of the two main components of drag experienced by an aircraft during steady, level flight. The other component is parasite drag. Induced drag is specifically related to the lift generated by the aircraft’s wings.
- Di is the induced drag.
- e is the span efficiency factor, representing the effectiveness of the wing in producing lift. It is a dimensionless value typically ranging from 0.8 to 1.0 for modern aircraft designs.
- AR is the aspect ratio of the wings, defined as the square of the wingspan (b) divided by the wing area (S).
- W is the weight of the aircraft.
- b is the wing span.