Cessna 172 Skyhawk — the most-built wing in aviationvsDownwind glide foil — high aspect reference front wing
root section naca2412 → e818 · sweep parameter 1.666 → 9.717 · dihedral 1.73° → -2.50° · tip cap reach 0.200 → 0.400 · area 16463140 mm² → 121109 mm² · tip chord 1310 mm → 48 mm
units
These analyses are not directly comparable
- different fluids (air vs water-salt) — density and viscosity both differ, so the drag numbers are not on the same footing
- different trim loads (10791 N vs 932 N) — each wing is carrying a different weight
The geometry comparison below is unaffected — it is a comparison of shapes, not of runs.
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk — the most-built wing in aviation
- Downwind glide foil — high aspect reference front wing
What changed
| Property | Cessna 172 Skyhawk | Downwind glide foil | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | ||||
| Span | 11000 mm | 1240 mm | -9760 mm | -88.7% |
| Root chord | 1630 mm | 130 mm | -1500 mm | -92.0% |
| Tip chord | 1310 mm | 48 mm | -1262 mm | -96.3% |
| Sweep parameter | 1.666 | 9.717 | +8.051 | +483.3% |
| Dihedral | 1.73° | -2.50° | -4.23° | -244.5% |
| Tip twist | -3.00° | -2.50° | +0.50° | -16.7% |
| TE thickness | 3 mm | 0 mm | -3 mm | -93.3% |
| Sections | 40 | 30 | -10 | -25.0% |
| Tip cap reach | 0.200 | 0.400 | +0.200 | +100.0% |
| Derived | ||||
| Aspect ratio | 7.350 | 12.696 | +5.346 | +72.7% |
| Area | 16463140 mm² | 121109 mm² | -16342031 mm² | -99.3% |
| Taper | 0.804 | 0.369 | -0.434 | -54.1% |
| MAC | 1504 mm | 104 mm | -1400 mm | -93.1% |
| Sections | ||||
| Root section | naca2412 | e818 | changed | — |
| Shapedeviation at matched span fractions, 64 samples | ||||
| Chord deviation (max) | 1500 mm | |||
| Chord deviation (RMS) | 1401 mm | |||
| Twist deviation (max) | 0.50° | |||
| Dihedral deviation (max) | 193 mm | |||
| Tip cap deviation (max) | 5084 mm | |||
Performance
CoefficientsDimensionless — how good the shape is, independent of size and speed.
Spanwise
withheld — “Cessna 172 Skyhawk” integrates to CL 0.034 against the polar’s CL at the same α (this analysis predates the loading reporting its own) 0.344 (0.10×); “Downwind glide foil” integrates to CL 0.061 against the polar’s CL at the same α (this analysis predates the loading reporting its own) 0.446 (0.14×). A loading that does not integrate back to its own wing’s CL is not a coarse curve, it is a wrong one.
mixed fluids (air, water (sea))
data
| CD | Cessna 172 Skyhawk | Downwind glide foil |
|---|---|---|
| 0.006 | 0.148 | 0.092 |
| 0.007 | 0.151 | 0.102 |
| 0.007 | 0.155 | 0.115 |
| 0.007 | 0.156 | 0.116 |
| 0.007 | 0.160 | 0.131 |
| 0.007 | 0.169 | 0.150 |
| 0.007 | 0.178 | 0.166 |
| 0.007 | 0.181 | 0.173 |
| 0.008 | 0.200 | 0.203 |
| 0.008 | 0.206 | 0.211 |
| 0.008 | 0.226 | 0.240 |
| 0.008 | 0.241 | 0.259 |
| 0.009 | 0.262 | 0.289 |
| 0.010 | 0.285 | 0.317 |
| 0.011 | 0.312 | 0.355 |
| 0.012 | 0.344 | 0.393 |
| 0.013 | 0.380 | 0.446 |
| 0.015 | 0.422 | 0.489 |
| 0.019 | 0.489 | 0.577 |
| 0.021 | 0.529 | 0.602 |
| 0.032 | 0.685 | 0.731 |
| 0.035 | 0.724 | 0.775 |