wingtip vortices produces what kind of drag
The pressure imbalance that produces lift creates a problem at the wing tips. The higher-pressure air below a wing spills up over the wing tip into the area of lower-pressure air above. The wingâs forward motion spins this upward spill of air into a long spiral, like a small tornado, that trails off the wing tip. These wing tip vortices create a form of pressure drag called vortex drag. Vortices reduce the air pressure along the entire rear edge of the wing, which increases the pressure drag on the airplane. The energy required to produce a vortex comes at the expense of the forward motion of the airplane. Tilting the airplaneâs wings upward makes the vortices stronger and increases vortex drag. Vortices are especially strong during takeoff and landing, when an airplane is flying slowly with its wings tilted upward.