If the angle of incidence increases, what is the typical effect on lift and drag at a given angle of attack?

• A. Increasing angle of incidence increases lift at a given AoA but increases drag.
• B. Increasing incidence decreases lift.
• C. Incidence has no effect on lift.
• D. Incidence only affects drag, not lift.

Answer: (A)

Raising the incidence tilts the wing more toward the oncoming air, so for the same flight path its effective angle of attack increases. Lift grows with angle of attack in the normal operating range, so lift increases as incidence goes up. At the same time, drag rises because the higher angle of attack creates greater pressure differences and more energy is needed to produce that lift, leading to increased profile and induced drag. So, typically, lift increases and drag increases as incidence increases (up to the stall limit, beyond which lift would drop).