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Glite Dictionary
span loading

span loading

8.5
The weight of a plane for each meter of wing length
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : carga de envergadura
  • Reducing span loading can improve lift and fuel efficiency in lightweight airplanes.

Examples

  • Designers calculated the span loading to ensure optimal performance for the new glider.

  • Aircraft with high span loading typically require stronger wings to support the additional weight.

  • The span loading of this aircraft is critical for its performance.

  • Engineers must calculate the span loading before the test flight.

  • Aircraft with high span loading typically require stronger wings to support the additional weight.

  • Designers calculated the span loading to ensure optimal performance for the new glider.

  • Reducing span loading can improve lift and fuel efficiency in lightweight airplanes.

Surface Forms

span loading singular
span loadings plural

Morphology

span + loading

The term is compositionally built from 'span' + 'loading' and signals a kind of loading per unit span, so there is a partial, predictable relation for learners who know the constituents. However, it is a technical aeronautical measure (requires mapping 'span' to 'wingspan' and familiarity with engineering 'loading' usages), so a B1 learner who knows the words but lacks domain knowledge would likely not infer the precise meaning without exposure.

Etymology

The term span loading comes from imagining a wing as a long bar, the span, that must carry the plane's loading or 'weight' along its length. Designers divide the aircraft 'weight' by the wing 'span' to see how much weight each part of the wing must hold, so span loading shows how hard the wings must work.