Plain English Meaning

How much wing surface the airplane has when you look straight down at it from above. More wing surface generally means more lift for a given speed.

Full Definition

The total surface area of a wing as viewed from directly above (the planform), measured in square feet. It includes the area of the wing itself plus, by convention, the portion of the fuselage between the wing roots. Wing area is a key parameter in calculating lift, since lift is proportional to wing area, air density, the square of airspeed, and the coefficient of lift.

Context Anchor

Seen in airplane design, performance, lift, , and discussions.