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Several empirical and semi‐empirical formulae exist for predicting wing weights, and it is the purpose of this note to summarize the results of a study of accuracy associated with some of these methods, with a view to establishing their comparative reliability. The modus operandi for effecting this has been to collect together the weights of wing structures which have actually been weighed, thus giving values of true wing weight, and to use each formula or method to ‘predict’ the weights of the same wings, and then to compare the estimated results with the true wing weights. Deviations between the true and estimated values have been tabulated and subjected to statistical analysis and the comparative measures of accuracy derived from that analysis.

This paper suggests a means of estimating wing weight using formulae based on the theoretical ideal wing. The predicted wing weight is attained by multiplying the weight of the ideal wing by a correction factor derived from a statistical analysis of actual wing weights. The method has the advantage that it provides the designer with a yardstick by which to compare alternative designs and indicates where improvement might be effected.