High Wing‐Loading: The Designer's Problem of Deciding o the Wing Area Necessary for his Purpose

IN considering the size of wings, which aero‐plane designers require to lift a given weight, the fact is very apparent that lifting surfaces have become smaller as the art of aeroplane design has advanced. Fig. 1 shows the trend of this development from pre‐war days up to now, expressed by a steady increase in wing loading (lb. per sq. ft.). How is this development likely to go on, and where will it end ?