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Howdy Boys,
"wing loading" is an aerodynamic term used mostly
in determining the performance of an acft and is simply the AIRCRAFT'S WEIGHT
divided by the SURFACE AREA OF THE WING.
It is not a structual term and has nothing to do
with the STRENGTH of the wing.
Your acft has a higher wing loading at Max Gross Wt
than it does when it is just you and 10 gal of gas on board. Designers can
design in a higher wing loading by making the wing SMALLER.
Why? DRAG, baby, DRAG. Less wetted area primarily. The
higher wing loading makes for higher speeds. Max endurance, max glide,etc
all occur at higher speeds than a lower wing loaded acft. Down side?
Higher stall / approach speeds, less ability to generate G-loads, larger turn
radius, and overall less maneuverability.
Look at the F-104 vs the F-15. The F-15 has a
huge wing (two huge motors to move it thru the air too) and will turn on a
dime. The F-104 had a tiny wing and went like a scalded ape on a
whole lot less power and took the state of texas to turn around in.
Viola. Wing loading. Nice to know
stuff.
Chuck Lax
235/320
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