Wave drag
Aircraft aerodynamic drag at transonic and supersonic speeds due to the presence of shock waves / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For Wave drag related to watercrafts, see Wave making resistance.
In aeronautics, wave drag is a component of the aerodynamic drag on aircraft wings and fuselage, propeller blade tips and projectiles moving at transonic and supersonic speeds, due to the presence of shock waves.[1] Wave drag is independent of viscous effects,[2] and tends to present itself as a sudden and dramatic increase in drag as the vehicle increases speed to the critical Mach number. It is the sudden and dramatic rise of wave drag that leads to the concept of a sound barrier.
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