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Section 4 of 13

The lift/drag ratio

(Principles of flight: the lift/drag ratio)

Lift is the benefit you want from a wing; drag is the price you pay for it. The single number that captures how good that bargain is at any moment is the lift/drag ratio (L/D): how many units of lift you get for each unit of drag. It is the measure of aerodynamic efficiency, and one specific value of it underlies your best glide, your best range and your best engine-out distance.

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