What is the wing chord line?

What is the wing chord line?

• A. The straight line along the wing's leading edge.
• B. The line from wingtip to wingtip.
• C. The line perpendicular to the wing's span near the root.
• D. The straight line from the leading edge to the trailing edge.

Answer: (D)

The chord line is the straight line from the wing’s leading edge to its trailing edge at a given station. It defines the direction across the wing’s width (the chord) and serves as the reference for the wing’s chord length and the airfoil’s orientation relative to the oncoming airflow, which is essential for determining angle of attack. It’s not the line along the leading edge, not the line from tip to tip (span), and not a line perpendicular to the span. Even on swept wings, the chord line remains from front edge to back edge, describing the wing’s cross-sectional width.

The chord line is the straight line from the wing’s leading edge to its trailing edge at a given station. It defines the direction across the wing’s width (the chord) and serves as the reference for the wing’s chord length and the airfoil’s orientation relative to the oncoming airflow, which is essential for determining angle of attack. It’s not the line along the leading edge, not the line from tip to tip (span), and not a line perpendicular to the span. Even on swept wings, the chord line remains from front edge to back edge, describing the wing’s cross-sectional width.