How much of the drag produced by a typical GA/airliner/cargo plane's wing at cruise is induced, frictional, and pressure drag?
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asked Feb 18 at 7:36
Abdullah is not an AmalekiteAbdullah is not an Amalekite
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$\begingroup$ Induced drag is mainly due to pressure drag. It'd be more correct to ask how much is induced and how much is parasite $\endgroup$– sophitCommented Feb 18 at 15:45
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1 Answer
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At best L/D, an aircraft (with a simple parabolic polar) has half induced and half parasite drag.
If half the parasite drag is from the fuselage -- and you are flying at best L/D, then we can say that of the total drag:
25% fuselage parasite 25% wing parasite 50% induced
Or, of just the wing
33% parasite 66% induced
You likely aren't cruising exactly at best L/D. And you will have other components that contribute to the parasite drag of the aircraft. But this should give you a reasonable idea of how to make a starting estimate.
