Parasitic drag

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Parasitic drag, also known as profile drag, is a type of aerodynamic drag that acts on any object when the object is moving through a fluid. Parasitic drag is defined as the combination of form drag and skin friction drag. It is named as such because it is not useful, in contrast with lift-induced drag which is created when an airfoil generates lift. All objects experience parasitic drag, regardless of whether they generate lift. Parasitic drag comprises all types of drag except lift-induced drag, and the total drag on an aircraft or other object which generates lift is the sum of parasitic drag and lift-induced drag.

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