Area Rule

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Area Rule

A prescribed method of design for obtaining minimum zero-lift drag for a given aerodynamic configuration, such as a wing-body configuration, at a given speed.
For a transonic body, the area rule is applied by subtracting from, or adding to, its cross-sectional area distribution normal to the air stream at various stations so as to make its cross-sectional area distribution approach that of an ideal body of minimum drag; for a supersonic body, the sectional areas are frontal projections of areas intercepted by planes inclined at the Mach angle.

References

This article is based on NASA's Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use