In flight mechanics, the planform area refers to the total area of the wing (or any lifting surface) as projected onto a plane perpendicular to the direction of the airflow. It is a fundamental parameter used in aerodynamics to characterize the aerodynamic behavior of an aircraft. The planform area, also termed as the “reference area” or “wing area,” represents the two-dimensional projection of an aircraft’s wing or any lifting surface when viewed from above. The formula to calculate Planform area as follows:
Where:
- b is the span in m,
- c is the mean chord in m