MIT Daedalus 88 — the 34 m human-powered wingvsGossamer Albatross II — same span, two-thirds the area
root section dae11 → l7769 · tip section dae31 → — · sweep parameter 0.484 → 7.476 · dihedral 1.00° → 3.60° · tip twist -1.50° → 0.00° · tip chord 762 mm → 1404 mm
units
These analyses are not directly comparable
- different trim loads (1020 N vs 991 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
- Gossamer Albatross II — same span, two-thirds the area
What changed
| Property | MIT Daedalus 88 | Gossamer Albatross II | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | ||||
| Span | 34100 mm | 29260 mm | -4840 mm | -14.2% |
| Root chord | 1050 mm | 1651 mm | +601 mm | +57.2% |
| Tip chord | 762 mm | 1404 mm | +642 mm | +84.3% |
| Sweep parameter | 0.484 | 7.476 | +6.992 | +1444.6% |
| Dihedral | 1.00° | 3.60° | +2.60° | +260.0% |
| Tip twist | -1.50° | 0.00° | +1.50° | -100.0% |
| Tip cap reach | 0.250 | 0.200 | -0.050 | -20.0% |
| Derived | ||||
| Aspect ratio | 36.667 | 18.901 | -17.766 | -48.5% |
| Area | 31712462 mm² | 45296522 mm² | +13584060 mm² | +42.8% |
| Taper | 0.726 | 0.850 | +0.125 | +17.2% |
| MAC | 939 mm | 1552 mm | +613 mm | +65.3% |
| Sections | ||||
| Root section | dae11 | l7769 | changed | — |
| Tip section | dae31 | — | changed | — |
| Shapedeviation at matched span fractions, 64 samples | ||||
| Chord deviation (max) | 642 mm | |||
| Chord deviation (RMS) | 618 mm | |||
| Twist deviation (max) | 1.50° | |||
| Dihedral deviation (max) | 623 mm | |||
| Tip cap deviation (max) | 3428 mm | |||
Performance
CoefficientsDimensionless — how good the shape is, independent of size and speed.
ForcesNewtons and watts — what each wing actually carries and costs at this condition.
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×); “Gossamer Albatross II” integrates to CL 0.118 against the polar’s CL at the same α (this analysis predates the loading reporting its own) 0.613 (0.19×). 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
| V (kt) | MIT Daedalus 88 | Gossamer Albatross II |
|---|---|---|
| 11.54 | 37.99 | 30.04 |
| 11.71 | 38.84 | 30.52 |
| 12.61 | 43.38 | 32.85 |
| 12.75 | 43.85 | 33.21 |
| 13.68 | 46.93 | 35.30 |
| 13.78 | 47.17 | 35.55 |
| 14.74 | 49.26 | 36.83 |
| 14.82 | 49.26 | 36.94 |
| 15.81 | 49.21 | 36.90 |
| 15.86 | 49.11 | 36.90 |
| 16.88 | 46.91 | 35.55 |
| 16.90 | 46.86 | 35.53 |
| 17.93 | 43.93 | 33.46 |
| 17.95 | 43.90 | 33.44 |
| 18.97 | 41.19 | 31.37 |