MAC stands for Mean Aerodynamic Chord.

• A. Maximum Aerodynamic Chord
• B. Mean Airfoil Center
• C. Mean Aerodynamic Chord
• D. Main AxialChord

Answer: (C)

Mean Aerodynamic Chord is the chord length of a single imaginary rectangle that represents the wing’s overall aerodynamic behavior. It’s a convenient reference length because it captures how the wing’s lift distribution behaves when you average across the span, rather than focusing on any one local chord.

In practice, the MAC is found by integrating across the wing span; it gives the chord that, if you made a rectangle of that width and the same span, would produce the same aerodynamic characteristics as the real wing. This is why CG locations are often given as a percentage of the MAC from the leading edge of the MAC.

It’s not the largest local chord—that would be the maximum chord. It isn’t a standard term like “Mean Airfoil Center” or “Main AxialChord,” so those options don’t fit standard aerodynamic usage.