Wingspan

The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip. It is an important measurement that helps scientists and engineers understand how these creatures and machines fly. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of 60.93 metres, showing just how large modern airplanes can be.

In the animal world, the record for the largest wingspan belongs to a wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans), which had a wingspan of 3.63 metres. This big wingspan helps the albatross glide easily over the oceans for long distances.

The term wingspan is also used for other winged animals such as pterosaurs, bats, and insects, as well as for special flying machines called ornithopters. Even in humans, the idea of wingspan is used to describe something called arm span, which is the distance between the fingertips of each arm when raised out to the sides.

Wingspan of aircraft

The wingspan of an aircraft is measured from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip in a straight line.

The size and shape of wings are important for both animals and airplanes. Bigger, longer wings help heavier animals and planes stay in the air. Birds like albatrosses and many airplanes have long, narrow wings for steady, long flights. Shorter, broader wings help with quick turns. This is useful for animals that need to catch insects or avoid danger, and for airplanes that need to be very maneuverable.

Wingspan of flying animals

To measure the wingspan of a bird, you lay it flat on its back and measure from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other wing. For insects, you measure from the center of the body to the tip of one wing and then double that number.

Main article: Wrist
Main articles: Primary feathers, Apices
Further information: Perpendicular

Wingspan in sports

In sports like basketball and gridiron football, wingspan is measured from fingertip to fingertip. This is also called "reach" in boxing.

For example, a young basketball player named BeeJay Anya had a wingspan of 7 feet 9 inches. Another player, Manute Bol, had a longer wingspan of 8 feet 6 inches. This is the longest ever recorded in basketball history.

Wingspan records

The wingspan is the distance from one wingtip to the other. Some animals and aircraft have very large wingspans, while others have very small ones.

Largest wingspan

• Aircraft: Scaled Composites Stratolaunch — 117 m (383 ft 10 in)
• Bat: Large flying fox – 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)
• Bird
  • Extant: Wandering albatross – 3.63 m (11 ft 11 in)
  • Extinct: Pelagornis – Approximately 6.06–7.38 m (19 ft 11 in – 24 ft 3 in)
• Insect
  • Extant: White witch moth – 28.6 cm (11.3 in)
  • Extinct: Meganeuropsis (Griffinfly, relative of dragonflies) – Approximately 71 cm (2 ft 4 in)
• Reptile: Hatzegopteryx (Azhdarchid pterosaur) – Approximately 10–12 m (32 ft 10 in – 39 ft 4 in)

Smallest wingspan

• Aircraft
  • Biplane: Starr Bumble Bee II – 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
  • Jet: Bede BD-5 – 4.27 m (14 ft 0 in)
  • Twin engine: Colomban Cri-cri – 4.9 m (16 ft 1 in)
• Bat: Bumblebee bat – 16 cm (6.3 in)
• Bird: Bee hummingbird – 6.5 cm (2.6 in)
• Insect: Tanzanian parasitic wasp (Fairyfly) – 0.2 mm (0.0079 in)
• Reptile: Nemicolopterus (Tapejaromorph pterosaur) – Approximately 25 cm (10 in)