Drag caused by frictional or parasitic resistance of the blades passing through the air, increasing with airspeed and changing little with angle of attack, is best described as which of the following?

Drag caused by frictional or parasitic resistance of the blades passing through the air, increasing with airspeed and changing little with angle of attack, is best described as which of the following?

• A. Profile Drag
• B. Induced Drag
• C. Parasite Drag
• D. Skin Drag

Answer: (A)

The drag described comes from the blade’s presence in the air as it moves, caused by the blade’s surface and shape creating friction and pressure effects. This is a parasite effect, not tied to lifting the blade, so it grows as the relative airspeed increases and doesn’t change much with small changes in the angle of attack. Among the terms, the best fit is profile drag, which is the part of parasite drag due to the blade’s shape and surface interaction with the air. Induced drag depends on lift and varies with angle of attack and speed in the opposite way, while skin drag is only the friction portion, a component of profile drag. Parasite drag is the broader category, but the description matches the blade’s profile drag most precisely.

The drag described comes from the blade’s presence in the air as it moves, caused by the blade’s surface and shape creating friction and pressure effects. This is a parasite effect, not tied to lifting the blade, so it grows as the relative airspeed increases and doesn’t change much with small changes in the angle of attack. Among the terms, the best fit is profile drag, which is the part of parasite drag due to the blade’s shape and surface interaction with the air. Induced drag depends on lift and varies with angle of attack and speed in the opposite way, while skin drag is only the friction portion, a component of profile drag. Parasite drag is the broader category, but the description matches the blade’s profile drag most precisely.