In cold, damp weather, the buildup of ice on airplane wings can pose significant aerodynamic problems. Which of the following effects would you expect?
A.As ice builds up on the top of the wing, drag increases.
B.As ice builds up on the top of the wing, lift increases.
C.As ice builds up on bottom of the wing, lift decreases.
D.All of the above
To answer this question, you need to understand the concepts of lift and drag. You also need to recognize that Table 1 provides the data relevant to the question. Ice building up on top of the wing would increase lift, since the higher the curved upper surface of the wing, the greater the difference between the speed of air moving under the wing and above it. It would also increase drag, as suggested by the third column of Table 1: notice how the wings with the higher upper surface also have greater drag. Finally, ice building up under the wing would decrease the speed of air moving under the wing and so reduce lift. Thus, all three effects would occur.