Induced Drag is most directly related to which aerodynamic phenomenon?

• A. Lift production
• B. Aircraft weight
• C. Engine power
• D. Airspeed increase

Answer: (A)

Induced drag arises as a byproduct of producing lift. When a wing generates lift, air must circulation around the wingtip, creating vortices and wasting energy to sustain them. The stronger the lift the wing must produce for a given flight condition, the stronger those vortices and the greater the energy loss manifests as drag. So the drag in question is directly tied to the act of lifting the airplane—the more lift required, the more induced drag. The other factors—weight, engine power, and airspeed—affect how much lift is needed or how total drag is balanced, but the underlying cause of induced drag is the lift generation itself. At higher speeds, less lift is required for the same weight, so induced drag tends to decrease, while at slow speeds with high lift demands it increases.