SIFT Army Aviation Information Practice Test

As speed increases, parasitic drag increases significantly. Parasitic drag consists of form drag, skin friction, and interference drag, which all depend on the object's shape, surface characteristics, and the flow of air around it. As the speed of an aircraft increases, the faster moving air generates more friction against the surface of the aircraft, leading to increased skin friction drag. Form drag, which is related to the shape and size of the object, also increases because the force of the air pushing against the leading edges becomes stronger at higher speeds. This accumulation of forces results in a corresponding increase in parasitic drag as the aircraft accelerates. Given this relationship, it becomes clear that parasitic drag is not only influenced by the speed of the aircraft but increases in a more pronounced manner as speed rises, confirming that the correct answer is that it increases constantly.