Aviation Terminology - Aspect Ratio

Remember when we talk about induced drag, we said aircraft with long and thin wing (e.g. glider) can help reduce induced drag? In fact, it is the Aspect Ratio (AR) that's matter.

Aspect ratio is the relationship between the wing span and wing area. As different aircraft may have different shapes of wing, the most accurate formula for calculating aspect ratio is :

AR = Square of Wing Span / Wing Area

For simplicity, it is generally accept that :

AR = Wing Span / Chord

High aspect ratio 

• Long wing span and thin chord e.g. glider
• Induced drag reduces as wingtip vortex is hard to form

Low aspect ratio

• Short wing span and thick chord e.g. F-16 fighter, Concord
• Drag is usually compensated by higher speed