Wing Size Calculator
Enter the aircraft's mass, the stall speed you want, the wing type and its aspect ratio. The calculator gives the wing area from the lift equation, then the span, chord and wing loading.
- Wing area
- Wingspan
- Wing loading
Uses sea level air unless you enter an altitude.
Wing area is found from S = 2mg ÷ (ρ V² CLmax). A 600 kg aircraft that should stall at 85 km/h with simple flaps needs about 10.8 m² of wing. At an aspect ratio of 8 that is a 9.3 m span with a 1.2 m chord.
Wing area by mass and stall speed
Simple flaps, CL 1.6, sea level. Search for a mass.
| Mass | At 65 km/h | At 85 km/h | At 110 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 kg | 3.1 | 1.8 | 1.1 |
| 250 kg | 7.7 | 4.5 | 2.7 |
| 450 kg | 13.8 | 8.1 | 4.8 |
| 600 kg | 18.4 | 10.8 | 6.4 |
| 750 kg | 23 | 13.5 | 8 |
| 1000 kg | 30.7 | 18 | 10.7 |
| 1500 kg | 46.1 | 26.9 | 16.1 |
m².
Stall speed and wing area
A 600 kg aircraft with flaps. Slide the stall speed.
The wing is drawn from above with its span.
How to size a wing
Weight to wing. Step through it.
Mass
Use the maximum take off mass.
Light sport and microlight rules often cap the stall speed, check yours.
Plain, flapped or slotted
Wing types. Compare them.
Simple.
Common.
Efficient.
Flaps let a smaller wing land slowly, but add weight and parts.
Before you draw the wing
Wing checks. Tick each item.
Tick each item as you go.
Check the structure and the tail size too.
What you get
Wing sizing. Each tile explains one result.
m² and sq ft.
From aspect ratio.
kg per m².
Stall check.
Air density.
Halving the stall speed needs four times the wing area.
Frequently Asked Questions
No question matches that search.
How do you work out wing size?
Divide twice the weight by air density, stall speed squared and the lift coefficient.
What is wing loading?
The aircraft's mass divided by its wing area, in kilograms per square metre.
What aspect ratio should a wing have?
About seven to nine for light aircraft, and much higher for gliders.
Do flaps reduce the wing area needed?
Yes. They raise the lift coefficient, so a smaller wing stalls at the same speed.
Why does altitude matter?
Thinner air gives less lift, so the same wing stalls at a higher true speed.
Does this work for model aircraft?
Yes. Use the model setting and the model's flying mass.
A wing that lands slowly
Start from the weight and stall speed and you know how much wing to draw.
More size calculators
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