Nominal wingspan: These deltas are based on triangles. The tangent of the angle between the leading edge and the centerline (half the nose angle) is the opposite side over the adjacent side. Wingtips are located by expressing that tangent in actual physical measurements. The opposite side of the triangle then equals half the nominal span. Double that gives the nominal span.

However, finishing the wingtips off can remove that point of geometric intersection of the baseline with the leading edge from the physical kite, but the nominal span remains as an integral part of the defining geometry of the kite, a constant unaffected by occasional detail revisions.

Back