What effect does increasing the angle of attack have on drag?

Increasing the angle of attack influences drag primarily due to the change in airflow characteristics around the airfoil. As the angle of attack rises, the airflow encounters the wing at a steeper angle, which can increase both form drag and induced drag. Form drag, which is influenced by the shape of the wing and the pressure differences created by the wing's presence in the airflow, tends to rise because the wing disrupts the airflow more at higher angles.

Additionally, as the angle of attack increases, the lift generated by the wing also increases up to a certain point. However, after reaching the critical angle of attack, the wing may stall, which leads to a dramatic increase in drag due to turbulent airflow behind the wing. This turbulent flow increases form drag significantly.

Finally, induced drag rises with higher angles of attack as well, since this is directly related to the amount of lift being produced. Therefore, a higher angle of attack leads to increased drag both from the shape interactions with airflow and from increased lift production until stall conditions are reached. Hence, increasing the angle of attack consistently results in an overall increase in drag.