. . .Assuming that the gravity is normal, assuming there is a near-constant ocean wind blowing in, assuming my protagonist is a little over six feet tall, slender, lightweight, and hollow-boned.
Who Asked: Vivian
The Book: A World in Ruins
Answer:
The answer to this question is going to be variable, due to a number of factors. Just to be able to get off the ground, we’re talking about a minimum of around an eleven-foot wingspan.
Think about birds and bats you’ve seen in flight (The Silby Guide to Birds is a good place to examine this, as almost every species mentioned is shown in flight). Their bodies are often much shorter than their wings.
Since you’re talking about ocean breezes, let’s take an actual sea bird for our first example. The aspect (height to wingspan) ratio of the wandering albatross, which is the world’s largest seabird, is 2:6. This means that for every 1 inch of body size, the bird has 2.6 inches of wing span. This would put your six foot person with a wing span of sixteen feet.
Since you mention leathery wings, I want to address bats as well. Different species of bats have aspect ratios ranging from around 5:7 to 9:8. This would add up to a wingspan between 18.2 and 42.8 feet.
The way your character acts in flight will further determine the size of the wings. The more maneuverability you want, the smaller the aspect ratio. The more distance (endurance) you want, the bigger the aspect ratio.
Another consideration is wing loading, which deals with how much weight and pressure that is advisable per square-inch of wing surface. Five pounds of body weight per square-foot is near the high-end for birds. Which means you really need to know how much your character weighs (including the wings themselves) to get a precise, physically-possible answer.
Hope this helps!
Thanks so much for playing Stump the Librarian!
Amber
Web Resources
- Wandering Albatross
- How Bats Fly
- Wing Loading Wikipedia article (Please remember that anyone can add to or edit a Wikipedia article.)
- Bird Flight Wikipedia article (Please remember that anyone can add to or edit a Wikipedia article.)
Print Resources:
- National Audubon Society: The Sibley Guide to Birds by David Allen Sibley
