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Path: utzoo!linus!genrad!decvax!harpo!eagle!alice!kco
From: kco@alice.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: wing loading
Message-ID: <1935@alice.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 16-Jun-83 10:34:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: alice.1935
Posted: Thu Jun 16 10:34:39 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 16-Jun-83 23:15:07 EDT
Lines: 9

A student pilot friend recently told me about a book on soaring that said
(apparently trying to make an intuitive impression) it "only" takes about
2 oz. per square inch of lift surface to keep an average 15 meter sailplane
flying. This works out to 18 lb/sq ft. A more reasonable number for sailplanes
would seem to be 3-4 lb/sq ft, given say a 2-33A and a hefty pilot
that together weigh about 800lbs and a lift area of about 240 sq ft.
Can anyone give some representative numbers for other aircraft - anywhere
from a Cub to a 747? Does high wing loading always imply a high speed
cruiser and low wing loading a floater?