How does the width of a planes wing affect the way it flies?

Answer 1

Wings are designed for a specific purpose.

Span is a measure from the wing root (where it attaches to the fuselage) to the wingtip. Chord is a measure of the distance from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the wing. The ratio of span to chord is called the aspect ratio of the wing. A high aspect ratio wing (long wingspan but short chord) works best at slow speeds, like gliders or slow single engine aircraft. Low aspect ratio wings (short wingspan but long chord) work well at high speed, like fighter jets. The aircraft designer chooses the span, chord, and camber (amount of curvature on top of the wing) for the intended flight characteristics of the airplane.

The wings on many (but not all) high speed jets are angled toward the back. The term for this is wing sweep or swept wing. A swept wing reduces drag at hig speed, while a wing that is not swept, or with less sweep, creates better lift at low speeds. The F-14 Tomcat had a wing that could be moved forward for takeoff and landing, and then could move to the swept position for high-speed flight. This system is not widely used because of the added weight, complexity, cost, and reliability. Instead, most manufacturers use a compromise that works best for both slow and high speed flight.