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Estimating wing weight

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mcrae0104

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2009
Messages
5,006
Location
KEIK (CO)
I ran a wing weight estimation using the equation Raymer provides in Simplified Aircraft Design for Homebuilders (p. 108) and got strange results: 282 lb--way too heavy for this little sub-1,300 lb plane (details below). Raymer also suggests a metal wing could weigh 1.1 to 2.0 times the area (exposed planform) which would result in ~140lb. I triple-checked my math, then checked his Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach--same equation provided (p. 460). Hmm, no typo in the equation. I then checked what Gudmundsson had to say in General Aviation Aircraft Design. He reproduced Raymer's equation but also supplied one from Nicolai. This equation provided a much more favorable estimate of 137 lb.

Anybody else get wacky results from these statistical methods? I didn't expect they'd be perfect; I'd be happy with +/- 20% but +/- 200%...? I would chalk this up to some mistake on my part but I did it manually and using Excel. If anyone cares to wade through it and point out what I'm missing here I'm all ears.

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