Wetted aspect ratio (wing)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).

The wetted aspect ratio is a good indication of the aerodynamic efficiency of an aircraft. It is a better measure than the aspect ratio. It is defined as:

ARwet = {b^2 \over Sw}

where Sw is the wetted surface of the whole aircraft in contrast to the wing area used for the definition of the aspect ratio.

A good example of this is the Boeing B-47 and Avro Vulcan. Both aircraft have very similar performance although they are radically different. The B-47 has a high aspect ratio wing, while the Avro Vulcan is a low aspect ratio blended wing body. They have, however, a very similar wetted aspect ratio.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../w/e/t/Wetted_aspect_ratio_%28wing%29.html"