The chord is measured from leading edge to trailing edge of the airfoil. What can be determined from this?

The chord is measured from leading edge to trailing edge of the airfoil. What can be determined from this?

• A. Longitudinal dimension of the airfoil
• B. Span of the wing
• C. Camber thickness ratio
• D. Aspect ratio

Answer: (A)

The chord is the straight-line distance from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the airfoil, measured along the airfoil’s length. This defines the longitudinal dimension of the airfoil—the size in the forward–back direction of the cross-section. Knowing the chord length lets you express other features as ratios to it, such as the thickness-to-chord ratio or the camber-to-chord ratio. In contrast, measurements like wing span or the wing’s aspect ratio describe the entire wing, not a single airfoil cross-section.

The chord is the straight-line distance from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the airfoil, measured along the airfoil’s length. This defines the longitudinal dimension of the airfoil—the size in the forward–back direction of the cross-section. Knowing the chord length lets you express other features as ratios to it, such as the thickness-to-chord ratio or the camber-to-chord ratio. In contrast, measurements like wing span or the wing’s aspect ratio describe the entire wing, not a single airfoil cross-section.