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Wing Loading

  • Shanny
  • Topic Author

Shanny created the topic: Wing Loading

Hi Bob and Richard,

Came across this question in your online exams and bit confused with the feedback:

Wing loading is defined as-
Select one:
a. lift divided by wing area.
b. weight divided by engine horsepower.
c. wing span divided by wing chord.
d. lift divided by weight.

Feedback
Wing loading is weight ÷ wing area. Not to be confused with load factor which is lift ÷ weight
The correct answer is: lift divided by wing area.

How is the answer "lift divided by wing area" related to "weight divided by wing area"

Thanks, Shannon.
P.S see you next week for Performance!
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bobtait replied the topic: Wing Loading

The official definition of wing loading is WEIGHT ÷ WING AREA. Since this question did not give that as an answer, the only choice you could pick would be LIFT ÷ WING AREA. This assumes that you are in level flight and therefore lift and weight are equal. In the real world, wing loading for a particular aircraft is often given as maximum published all-up weight ÷ wing area. That will be a fixed figure dictated by the aircraft design and not affected by day-to-day variations in weight or flight manoeuvres.
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  • Shanny
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Shanny replied the topic: Wing Loading

Thanks for the explanation.
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