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Old 09-19-2008 | 02:36 PM
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JohnW
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Default RE: Question about "wing loading" spec

Louis, lighter is generally always better, I don’t know that plane so can’t say for sure, but it is probably flyable due to it's size. To explain why the 38oz/ft loading may be OK I need to bring up a related subject that often gets lost or ignored in wing loading threads. Reynolds numbers. In simple terms, Reynolds describes the scaling factor and how it affects efficiency, etc. In general, as wings become larger, they become more efficient. It is not uncommon for 35%40% scale 3D ships to have loading well into the 30’s, yet they feel very light in the air. The reason is the larger scale makes the wing much more efficient than smaller versions. Put the same wing loading on a .40 sized 3D ship, it will fly like a garbage truck.