Wing loading is an important parameter in aircraft design that describes the distribution of an aircraft’s weight (mass) over its wing’s total wing area. It plays a significant role in determining an aircraft’s lift and flight performance characteristics. Wing loading is not represented by a single formula, but rather by a ratio and can be defined as follows:
Formula: Wing loading (WL) is calculated as the ratio of the aircraft’s total weight (W) to the total wing area (S):
- WL is the wing loading (usually expressed in newtons per square meter, N/m², or pounds-force per square foot, psf).
- W is the total weight of the aircraft (in newtons or pounds-force).
- S is the total wing area (in square meters or square feet).