What is the relationship between airspeed and lift and drag?

The relationship between airspeed, lift, and drag is fundamentally governed by the principles of aerodynamics. As airspeed increases, the lift generated by an aircraft’s wings also increases. This is because lift is produced by the movement of air over the wings; the faster the air moves over the wing surface, the greater the lift generated according to Bernoulli’s principle and Newton's third law of motion.

Additionally, as airspeed increases, drag also increases. Drag is the aerodynamic resistance an object faces as it moves through the air, and it typically consists of two main components: parasitic drag and induced drag. Induced drag is directly related to the lift being produced; as lift increases with speed, so does the induced drag. Parasitic drag, which includes form drag and skin friction, also increases with the square of the velocity due to the greater amount of air the aircraft has to push out of the way.

Thus, the correct understanding is that with an increase in airspeed, both lift and drag are heightened. This reflects the interdependence of these forces in the dynamics of flight, aligning with the principles of physics that govern aerodynamic forces acting on an aircraft.