Ask A Scientist©

Engineering Archive

Minimum Wing Length

Index Key:   ENG003
Author:      ethann g waltermire
Subject:     Minimum wing length.
What is the shortest length an airplane wing can be, if the plane itself
weighs 775,000 pounds?

Response #:  1 of 1
Author:      wildman jackson
It depends on how much wing area is needed to make 775,000 pounds of lift. 
You can make the wing 1 inch wide, but it needs to be extremely long to
generate enough lift to get the plane off of the ground.  It also depends on
the shape of the wing (delta, swept, etc.).  The shape of the airfoil also
makes a huge difference.  Varying the cross-section of a wing (the airfoil)
will change the flow characteristics around it, thereby changing the
"minimum" length possible to support your plane.  It is too general of a
question to answer directly.

Back to Engineering	Ask A Scientist Index
NEWTON Homepage	Ask A Question

NEWTON is an electronic community for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12 Educators.
Argonne National Laboratory, Division of Educational Programs, Harold Myron, Ph.D., Division Director.

in another small container called, you guessed it, the absorber. From there this concentrated solution flows back to the generator to complete the cycle. This is the type of refrigerator that is seen most often in campers and RV's.