Definition
The ratio of the wing tip chord to the wing root chord, expressing how much the wing narrows from where it joins the fuselage to where it ends at the tip. A taper ratio of 1.0 means the tip and root chords are equal (a rectangular wing); a smaller ratio means the wing narrows more sharply toward the tip.
Plain English
A number that tells you how much narrower the wing is at its tip compared to where it meets the fuselage. The smaller the number, the more pointed the wing looks from above.
Context Anchor
Seen in wing planform discussions when comparing rectangular, tapered, and other wing shapes.
Derivation
‘Taper’ comes from Old English meaning to grow gradually narrower toward one end — the same word used for a candle that thins toward the top. Applied to a wing, it describes the same shape: wider at one end, narrower at the other.
Why Pilots Care
Affects lift distribution, induced drag, stall behavior, and structural weight.
Grounding Statement
If you look down at a wing and the tip is half as wide as the root, the taper ratio is 0.5.
Intuition Check
Taper ratio is not a measure of wing sweep or how pointed the wing looks overall. It is specifically the wingtip chord compared with the wing-root chord.
Example Sentence 1
A wing with a taper ratio of 0.5 has a tip chord half as long as its root chord.
Example Sentence 2
Lower taper ratios are often chosen to reduce wing weight while maintaining acceptable stall characteristics.