Windage is a force created on an object by friction when there is relative movement between air and the object.
There are two possible causes of windage:
- the object is moving and being slowed by resistance from the air
- a wind is blowing producing a force on the object
The term can refer to :
- either, the effect of the force, for example the deflection of a missile or an aircraft by a cross wind
- or, the area and shape of the object that make it susceptible to friction, for example those parts of a boat that are exposed to the wind.
Aerodynamic streamlining can be used to reduce windage.
There is a similar hydrodynamic effect to windage.
