The ratio of maximum load the aircraft can sustain to the gross weight is known as what?

• A. Wing Loading
• B. Load Factor
• C. Thrust-to-Weight
• D. Lift-to-Drag

Answer: (B)

The concept here is how much lift the wings must provide relative to the aircraft’s weight during a flight condition—the load factor. The ratio of the maximum lift the aircraft can sustain to its gross weight defines the maximum load factor, basically telling you how many times the airplane’s weight it can support in a maneuver. In steady, level flight lift equals weight, so the load factor is 1. In maneuvers like climbing turns or pullouts, lift must exceed weight, raising the load factor above 1. The aircraft design also imposes a structural limit on how high that load factor can go, expressed as a maximum positive and sometimes negative g. So the load factor quantifies the aircraft’s maneuvering capability and structural limits. Wing loading measures weight per wing area, thrust-to-weight compares propulsion to weight, and lift-to-drag is about aerodynamic efficiency, none of which describe this lift-to-weight ratio that defines maneuvering loads.