wing Loading????????
05-31-2007, 08:53 AM
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wing Loading????????
Can someone PLEASE explain to me about wing loading?? Looking at two edge 540"s one has a wing area of 753 and the other has a 845. What do these mean??
Thanks
Randy
Thanks
Randy
05-31-2007, 09:20 AM
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RE: wing Loading????????
In the simplest terms, wing loading is the amount of weight the wing has to carry per square foot. The numbers you cite are the wing area. For a rectangular wing, the area is simply length multiplied by width, or span multiplied by chord. When the wing is tapered or elliptical, the formula gets a little more complicated.
To find out the loading:
1. Weigh the plane in ounces.
2. Find the wing area in square feet. For a rectangular wing, it's easier and more accurate to multiply the span by the chord in inches, then divide by 144 to get feet. 144 is the number of square inches in a square foot.
3. Divide the square feet into the square inches.
For example:
Your plane weighs 5 pounds - 5 x 16 (ounces in a pound), that's 60 ounces.
Your plane has a 60" span and a 12" chord. 12 x 60, that's 720 square inches. Divided by 144, that's 5 square feet.
Do the division, 60 ounces/5 sq.ft. and in this example, that's 12 ounces per square foot, a VERY light plane!
Wing loading is important. A more lightly loaded plane will maneuver easier and probably tighter than a heavily loaded plane. It will fly with less engine and/or less wing lift. It will bounce a little more in the wind. It will land slower and stall at a slower speed.
Trainers will typically have a loading of 13-16 oz./sq.ft., sport planes may have 15-18, warbirds will go higher at 20-25, and giant scale planes may carry up to 45. A larger plane can carry a higher loading, due to several reasons I won't get into here. All of these figures are theoretical guidelines, and there are always exceptions.
Lighter is always better!
Dr.1
To find out the loading:
1. Weigh the plane in ounces.
2. Find the wing area in square feet. For a rectangular wing, it's easier and more accurate to multiply the span by the chord in inches, then divide by 144 to get feet. 144 is the number of square inches in a square foot.
3. Divide the square feet into the square inches.
For example:
Your plane weighs 5 pounds - 5 x 16 (ounces in a pound), that's 60 ounces.
Your plane has a 60" span and a 12" chord. 12 x 60, that's 720 square inches. Divided by 144, that's 5 square feet.
Do the division, 60 ounces/5 sq.ft. and in this example, that's 12 ounces per square foot, a VERY light plane!
Wing loading is important. A more lightly loaded plane will maneuver easier and probably tighter than a heavily loaded plane. It will fly with less engine and/or less wing lift. It will bounce a little more in the wind. It will land slower and stall at a slower speed.
Trainers will typically have a loading of 13-16 oz./sq.ft., sport planes may have 15-18, warbirds will go higher at 20-25, and giant scale planes may carry up to 45. A larger plane can carry a higher loading, due to several reasons I won't get into here. All of these figures are theoretical guidelines, and there are always exceptions.
Lighter is always better!
Dr.1
