Re: Lift Distribution along Wing versus Altitude

Hi Nikos,

That's a good question. There is a simple relationship between airfoil lift
and air density, which is related to altitude:

L = CL ρ V2 A / 2

Where CL is the coefficient of lift, ρ is the air
density, V is the airspeed, and A is the area of the airfoil. CL
is a dimensionless number that is measured for a given airfoil shape and
angle of attack. ρ is a function of altitude, which is explained in
detail here.
Basically, lift decreases as altitude increases. For this reason, high
altitude aircraft must fly faster or use larger wings to generate the same
lift as those at lower altitudes.

The best discussion of lift distribution I have found is here.

Madhu - blog