MIT Daedalus 88 — the 34 m human-powered wingvsPiper J-3 Cub — a rectangular wing that works
root section dae11 → usa35b · tip section dae31 → — · tip chord 762 mm → 1545 mm · sweep parameter 0.484 → 0.000 · tip twist -1.50° → 0.00° · te thickness 2 mm → 3 mm
units
These analyses are not directly comparable
- different trim loads (1020 N vs 5396 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
- Piper J-3 Cub — a rectangular wing that works
What changed
| Property | MIT Daedalus 88 | Piper J-3 Cub | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | ||||
| Span | 34100 mm | 10730 mm | -23370 mm | -68.5% |
| Root chord | 1050 mm | 1545 mm | +495 mm | +47.1% |
| Tip chord | 762 mm | 1545 mm | +783 mm | +102.8% |
| Sweep parameter | 0.484 | 0.000 | -0.484 | -100.0% |
| Tip twist | -1.50° | 0.00° | +1.50° | -100.0% |
| TE thickness | 2 mm | 3 mm | +2 mm | +100.0% |
| Tip cap reach | 0.250 | 0.300 | +0.050 | +20.0% |
| Derived | ||||
| Aspect ratio | 36.667 | 6.945 | -29.722 | -81.1% |
| Area | 31712462 mm² | 16577850 mm² | -15134612 mm² | -47.7% |
| Taper | 0.726 | 1.000 | +0.274 | +37.8% |
| MAC | 939 mm | 1545 mm | +606 mm | +64.5% |
| Sections | ||||
| Root section | dae11 | usa35b | changed | — |
| Tip section | dae31 | — | changed | — |
| Shapedeviation at matched span fractions, 64 samples | ||||
| Chord deviation (max) | 783 mm | |||
| Chord deviation (RMS) | 622 mm | |||
| Twist deviation (max) | 1.50° | |||
| Dihedral deviation (max) | 204 mm | |||
| Tip cap deviation (max) | 11707 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×); “Piper J-3 Cub” integrates to CL 0.002 against the polar’s CL at the same α (this analysis predates the loading reporting its own) 0.330 (0.01×). 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 | Piper J-3 Cub |
|---|---|---|
| 0.012 | 0.444 | 0.326 |
| 0.013 | 0.461 | 0.330 |
| 0.013 | 0.492 | 0.336 |
| 0.013 | 0.549 | 0.349 |
| 0.014 | 0.616 | 0.364 |
| 0.015 | 0.672 | 0.378 |
| 0.015 | 0.697 | 0.383 |
| 0.016 | 0.794 | 0.410 |
| 0.017 | 0.858 | 0.437 |
| 0.019 | 0.913 | 0.457 |
| 0.021 | 1.02 | 0.511 |
| 0.023 | 1.06 | 0.529 |
| 0.027 | 1.20 | 0.605 |
| 0.029 | 1.25 | 0.627 |
| 0.036 | 1.42 | 0.729 |
| 0.039 | 1.49 | 0.759 |