Editing Wave drag (section)

== Overview ==

Wave drag is a component of [[pressure drag]] due to [[compressibility]] effects.<ref name="Anderson">{{cite book |last1=Anderson |first1=John D. Jr. |title=Fundamentals of aerodynamics |date=1991 |publisher=McGraw-Hill |location=New York |isbn=0-07-001679-8 |page=25 |edition=2nd}}</ref> It is caused by the formation of [[shock wave]]s around a body. Shock waves create a considerable amount of drag, which can result in extreme drag  on the body. Although shock waves are typically associated with supersonic flow, they can form at [[wikt:subsonic|subsonic]] aircraft speeds on areas of the body where local airflow accelerates to supersonic speed. The effect is typically seen on aircraft at [[transonic]] speeds (about [[Mach number|Mach 0.8]]), but it is possible to notice the problem at any speed over that of the [[Critical Mach number|critical Mach]] of that aircraft. It is so pronounced that, prior to 1947, it was thought that aircraft engines would not be powerful enough to overcome the enhanced drag, or that the forces would be so great that aircraft would be at risk of breaking up in midflight. It led to the concept of a ''[[sound barrier]]''.