If the aircraft is slightly above the stall speed, and speed increases, induced drag:

• A. Increases
• B. Decreases
• C. Remains constant
• D. Fluctuates

Answer: (B)

Induced drag comes from the wing producing lift, and in steady, level flight the lift must equal the aircraft’s weight. As you increase speed, the lift coefficient needed to support that weight drops, so the strength of the wingtip vortices (and the downwash) decreases. Since induced drag is tied to how much lift those vortices create, it diminishes as speed rises. So moving from just above stall speed to a slightly higher speed reduces induced drag. It doesn’t increase or stay constant in this range, though at higher speeds parasite drag becomes more noticeable even as induced drag continues to fall.