General Aviation Aircraft Design

Since L_W = qS_refC_LW, solving for C_LW yields:

(i)

The minimum lift-induced drag is generated when the HT generates no (or negligible) balancing force. This happens when the weight is precisely at the aerodynamic center. In that case, the lift-induced drag (using the simplified drag model) is given by:

(ii)

On the other hand, when balancing force is required, Equation (i) can be used to calculate the higher lift-induced drag, i.e.:

(iii)

The ...