Cessna 172 Skyhawk — the most-built wing in aviationvsDrela SuperGee II — a 1.5 m discus-launch glider, drawn to the plan
root section naca2412 → ag455ct02r · tip section — → ag47ct02r · dihedral 1.73° → 4.00° · sweep parameter 1.666 → 3.400 · tip twist -3.00° → 0.00° · tip cap reach 0.200 → 0.400
units
These analyses are not directly comparable
- different trim loads (10791 N vs 2 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
- Drela SuperGee II — a 1.5 m discus-launch glider, drawn to the plan
What changed
| Property | Cessna 172 Skyhawk | Drela SuperGee II | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | ||||
| Span | 11000 mm | 1498 mm | -9502 mm | -86.4% |
| Root chord | 1630 mm | 183 mm | -1447 mm | -88.8% |
| Tip chord | 1310 mm | 94 mm | -1216 mm | -92.8% |
| Sweep parameter | 1.666 | 3.400 | +1.734 | +104.1% |
| Dihedral | 1.73° | 4.00° | +2.27° | +131.2% |
| Tip twist | -3.00° | 0.00° | +3.00° | -100.0% |
| TE thickness | 3 mm | 0 mm | -3 mm | -90.0% |
| Sections | 40 | 30 | -10 | -25.0% |
| Tip cap reach | 0.200 | 0.400 | +0.200 | +100.0% |
| Derived | ||||
| Aspect ratio | 7.350 | 10.266 | +2.917 | +39.7% |
| Area | 16463140 mm² | 218576 mm² | -16244565 mm² | -98.7% |
| Taper | 0.804 | 0.514 | -0.290 | -36.1% |
| MAC | 1504 mm | 151 mm | -1352 mm | -89.9% |
| Sections | ||||
| Root section | naca2412 | ag455ct02r | changed | — |
| Tip section | — | ag47ct02r | changed | — |
| Shapedeviation at matched span fractions, 64 samples | ||||
| Chord deviation (max) | 1447 mm | |||
| Chord deviation (RMS) | 1353 mm | |||
| Twist deviation (max) | 3.00° | |||
| Dihedral deviation (max) | 114 mm | |||
| Tip cap deviation (max) | 4957 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×); “Drela SuperGee II” integrates to CL 0.056 against the polar’s CL at the same α (this analysis predates the loading reporting its own) 0.371 (0.15×). A loading that does not integrate back to its own wing’s CL is not a coarse curve, it is a wrong one.
air, ρ = 1.225 kg/m³
data
| CD | Cessna 172 Skyhawk | Drela SuperGee II |
|---|---|---|
| 0.014 | 0.409 | 0.259 |
| 0.015 | 0.422 | 0.274 |
| 0.016 | 0.433 | 0.290 |
| 0.017 | 0.462 | 0.327 |
| 0.019 | 0.501 | 0.371 |
| 0.021 | 0.529 | 0.399 |
| 0.022 | 0.549 | 0.425 |
| 0.026 | 0.605 | 0.491 |
| 0.032 | 0.685 | 0.571 |
| 0.032 | 0.687 | 0.574 |
| 0.041 | 0.783 | 0.681 |
| 0.054 | 0.920 | 0.766 |