Cessna 172 Skyhawk — the most-built wing in aviationvsSurf / pump foil — 900 mm reference front wing
root section naca2412 → a18 · sweep parameter 1.666 → 8.553 · dihedral 1.73° → -1.50° · area 16463140 mm² → 111865 mm² · tip chord 1310 mm → 76 mm · span 11000 mm → 900 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
- Surf / pump foil — 900 mm reference front wing
What changed
| Property | Cessna 172 Skyhawk | Surf / pump foil | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | ||||
| Span | 11000 mm | 900 mm | -10100 mm | -91.8% |
| Root chord | 1630 mm | 150 mm | -1480 mm | -90.8% |
| Tip chord | 1310 mm | 76 mm | -1234 mm | -94.2% |
| Sweep parameter | 1.666 | 8.553 | +6.887 | +413.4% |
| Dihedral | 1.73° | -1.50° | -3.23° | -186.7% |
| Tip twist | -3.00° | -2.00° | +1.00° | -33.3% |
| TE thickness | 3 mm | 0 mm | -3 mm | -91.7% |
| Sections | 40 | 30 | -10 | -25.0% |
| Tip cap peak (chord fraction) | 0.500 | 0.450 | -0.050 | -10.0% |
| Tip cap reach | 0.200 | 0.350 | +0.150 | +75.0% |
| Derived | ||||
| Aspect ratio | 7.350 | 7.241 | -0.109 | -1.5% |
| Area | 16463140 mm² | 111865 mm² | -16351276 mm² | -99.3% |
| Taper | 0.804 | 0.507 | -0.297 | -37.0% |
| MAC | 1504 mm | 128 mm | -1375 mm | -91.5% |
| Sections | ||||
| Root section | naca2412 | a18 | changed | — |
| Shapedeviation at matched span fractions, 64 samples | ||||
| Chord deviation (max) | 1480 mm | |||
| Chord deviation (RMS) | 1375 mm | |||
| Twist deviation (max) | 1.00° | |||
| Dihedral deviation (max) | 178 mm | |||
| Tip cap deviation (max) | 5251 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×); “Surf / pump foil” integrates to CL 0.022 against the polar’s CL at the same α (this analysis predates the loading reporting its own) 0.363 (0.06×). 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 | Surf / pump foil |
|---|---|---|
| 0.011 | 0.308 | 0.254 |
| 0.011 | 0.334 | 0.284 |
| 0.012 | 0.344 | 0.294 |
| 0.013 | 0.363 | 0.320 |
| 0.014 | 0.400 | 0.363 |
| 0.015 | 0.422 | 0.387 |
| 0.016 | 0.443 | 0.416 |
| 0.019 | 0.497 | 0.481 |
| 0.021 | 0.529 | 0.513 |
| 0.023 | 0.567 | 0.563 |
| 0.030 | 0.667 | 0.667 |
| 0.032 | 0.685 | 0.681 |
| 0.042 | 0.794 | 0.803 |
| 0.054 | 0.920 | 0.901 |