3 ms·
Wing efficiency increases with the wing's aspect ratio, and the aspect ratio is the quotient of the span (b) squared and the area (S): b^2/S. So making the wing
by phumbe 8y ago
Wing efficiency increases with the wing's aspect ratio, and the aspect ratio is the quotient of the span (b) squared and the area (S): b^2/S. So making the wingspan longer with relatively little increase in wing area increases efficiency.
- theothermkn 8y agoSpan is actually the governing parameter. Aspect ratio is just a convenient parameter that grows with span if you conserve wing area. A wider wing with enough added planform area to have a lower aspect ratio would still outperform our theoretical shorter wing with higher aspect ratio.