MIT Daedalus 88 — the 34 m human-powered wingvsCessna 172 Skyhawk — the most-built wing in aviation
root section dae11 → naca2412 · tip section dae31 → — · sweep parameter 0.484 → 1.666 · tip twist -1.50° → -3.00° · te thickness 2 mm → 3 mm · aspect ratio 36.667 → 7.350
units
These analyses are not directly comparable
- different trim loads (1020 N vs 10791 N) — each wing is carrying a different weight
The geometry comparison below is unaffected — it is a comparison of shapes, not of runs.
- MIT Daedalus 88 — the 34 m human-powered wing
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk — the most-built wing in aviation
What changed
| Property | MIT Daedalus 88 | Cessna 172 Skyhawk | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | ||||
| Span | 34100 mm | 11000 mm | -23100 mm | -67.7% |
| Root chord | 1050 mm | 1630 mm | +580 mm | +55.2% |
| Tip chord | 762 mm | 1310 mm | +548 mm | +71.9% |
| Sweep parameter | 0.484 | 1.666 | +1.182 | +244.2% |
| Dihedral | 1.00° | 1.73° | +0.73° | +73.0% |
| Tip twist | -1.50° | -3.00° | -1.50° | +100.0% |
| TE thickness | 2 mm | 3 mm | +2 mm | +100.0% |
| Tip cap reach | 0.250 | 0.200 | -0.050 | -20.0% |
| Derived | ||||
| Aspect ratio | 36.667 | 7.350 | -29.318 | -80.0% |
| Area | 31712462 mm² | 16463140 mm² | -15249321 mm² | -48.1% |
| Taper | 0.726 | 0.804 | +0.078 | +10.7% |
| MAC | 939 mm | 1504 mm | +565 mm | +60.1% |
| Sections | ||||
| Root section | dae11 | naca2412 | changed | — |
| Tip section | dae31 | — | changed | — |
| Shapedeviation at matched span fractions, 64 samples | ||||
| Chord deviation (max) | 580 mm | |||
| Chord deviation (RMS) | 567 mm | |||
| Twist deviation (max) | 1.50° | |||
| Dihedral deviation (max) | 131 mm | |||
| Tip cap deviation (max) | 11563 mm | |||
Performance
CoefficientsDimensionless — how good the shape is, independent of size and speed.
Spanwise
withheld — “MIT Daedalus 88” integrates to CL 0.120 against the polar’s CL at the same α (this analysis predates the loading reporting its own) 0.913 (0.13×); “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×). 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 | MIT Daedalus 88 | Cessna 172 Skyhawk |
|---|---|---|
| 0.012 | 0.444 | 0.361 |
| 0.013 | 0.492 | 0.370 |
| 0.013 | 0.549 | 0.383 |
| 0.014 | 0.616 | 0.399 |
| 0.015 | 0.697 | 0.419 |
| 0.015 | 0.705 | 0.422 |
| 0.016 | 0.794 | 0.444 |
| 0.019 | 0.913 | 0.489 |
| 0.021 | 0.990 | 0.529 |
| 0.023 | 1.06 | 0.557 |
| 0.029 | 1.25 | 0.645 |
| 0.032 | 1.31 | 0.685 |
| 0.039 | 1.49 | 0.766 |