Wave Drag - Other Drag Reduction Methods

Other Drag Reduction Methods

Several other attempts to reduce wave drag have been introduced over the years, but have not become common. The supercritical airfoil is a new wing design that results in reasonable low speed lift like a normal planform, but has a profile considerably closer to that of the von Kármán ogive. All modern civil airliners use forms of supercritical aerofoil and have substantial supersonic flow over the wing upper surface.

Busemann's biplane avoids wave drag entirely, but is incapable of generating lift, and has never flown.

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