Wing Loading Calculator
Calculate aircraft wing loading in lb/ft² and kg/m² from gross weight and wing area, with stall speed estimation and aircraft-type reference table.
Use the Wing Loading Calculator
Aircraft Parameters
Use maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) for standard analysis.
Total gross wing area from TCDS or POH, including fuselage carrythrough.
Typical: 1.2–1.6 clean, 1.8–2.4 flaps down, 2.5–3.0 full flaps.
Typical Wing Loading by Category
| Aircraft Category | lb/ft² | kg/m² |
|---|---|---|
| Hang glider / ultralight | 2–5 | 10–24 |
| GA trainer (C-152, PA-28) | 10–16 | 49–78 |
| GA touring (C-172, SR22) | 14–20 | 68–98 |
| Aerobatic (Extra 300, Sukhoi) | 18–26 | 88–127 |
| Bush / STOL (C-185, Maule) | 11–16 | 54–78 |
| Regional turboprop (ATR, Q400) | 55–85 | 268–415 |
| Narrowbody jet (737, A320) | 100–140 | 488–683 |
| Widebody jet (777, A350) | 140–180 | 683–879 |
| Fighter (F-16, F/A-18) | 80–120 | 390–586 |
Enter weight and wing area, then click Calculate.
Wing loading and stall speed estimate will appear here.
Calculation Details
Summary
Wing loading is the ratio of an aircraft gross weight to its total wing area. It is a fundamental design parameter that governs stall speed, maneuverability, cruise efficiency, and gust sensitivity. Lower wing loading produces slower stall speeds and gentler handling; higher wing loading enables faster cruise and better gust penetration. This calculator converts your inputs to both imperial and metric units, estimates stall speed at sea level, and compares your result against typical aircraft categories. All computation runs locally in your browser.
How it works
- Select your preferred unit system (imperial or metric) using the toggle.
- Enter the aircraft gross weight — use maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) for standard analysis.
- Enter the total wing reference area as published in the aircraft Type Certificate Data Sheet or POH.
- Click Calculate to compute wing loading in lb/ft² and kg/m² simultaneously.
- The tool estimates stall speed at sea level (ISA, sea level density) using a simplified lift equation with CL_max = 1.6, a typical value for clean wings.
- Compare your result against the reference table of common aircraft categories to understand where your aircraft sits on the design spectrum.
Use cases
- Verify wing loading during homebuilt or experimental aircraft design.
- Compare wing loading across aircraft types when evaluating a purchase.
- Estimate stall speed when POH data is unavailable.
- Understand why high-performance jets require higher approach speeds than light GA aircraft.
- Teach student pilots the relationship between wing loading and stall speed.
- Cross-check published wing loading figures against manufacturer specifications.
- Evaluate performance trade-offs between aerobatic, touring, and bush-plane designs.
- Convert wing loading values between imperial and metric for international documentation.