Load factor is defined as the load the wings are supporting divided by the total weight of the airplane. Which ratio represents this definition?

• A. Drag divided by weight
• B. Lift divided by weight
• C. Thrust divided by weight
• D. Weight divided by lift

Answer: (B)

This measures how hard the wings have to work to support the airplane. The upward force from the wings is lift, and the downward force from gravity is weight. The load factor is the ratio of lift to weight (L divided by W). In straight-and-level flight, lift equals weight, so the load factor is 1. In a turn or pull, the wings must produce more lift than weight to provide the necessary centripetal force, so the load factor becomes greater than 1. The other options don’t describe how much load the wings carry: drag relates to resistance, thrust relates to propulsion, and weight divided by lift is the reciprocal of the intended ratio. Hence, lift divided by weight is the correct representation.