On Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:20:48 +0000 (UTC), Bertie the Bunyip
wrote:

es330td wrote in
:

Fortune magazine online has a photo essay about their new 787. On one
page,
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/....boeing_dreaml
i
ner.fortune/16.html, they make this statement:

The Dreamliner's wingspan is 197 feet, or about 25% longer than a
similar-sized plane, which increases lift and reduces drag.

I thought that lift, in addition to causing a net upward force on the
wing, also contributes to the drag force on the wing as well. If this
is the case then increasing lift should also increase drag. Did I
misunderstand?


Well, it's a trade off. it's possible to do both by various means.
arifoil selection, planform and so forth. It'd be more correct to say
that they're eliminating unneccesary drag.


Bertie

no.
it would be valid to say that they were using a geometry with less
induced drag. drag isnt necessary or unnecessary it is drag.
you cant eliminate it, all you can do is try hard to find the design
shape that has the least of it.

....got you on a slip of the keyboard :-)
you'll hate me now. :-)
Stealth Pilot