MIT Daedalus 88 — the 34 m human-powered wingvsDrela SuperGee II — a 1.5 m discus-launch glider, drawn to the plan
root section dae11 → ag455ct02r · tip section dae31 → ag47ct02r · sweep parameter 0.484 → 3.400 · dihedral 1.00° → 4.00° · tip twist -1.50° → 0.00° · area 31712462 mm² → 218576 mm²
units
These analyses are not directly comparable
- different trim loads (1020 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.
- MIT Daedalus 88 — the 34 m human-powered wing
- Drela SuperGee II — a 1.5 m discus-launch glider, drawn to the plan
What changed
| Property | MIT Daedalus 88 | Drela SuperGee II | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | ||||
| Span | 34100 mm | 1498 mm | -32602 mm | -95.6% |
| Root chord | 1050 mm | 183 mm | -867 mm | -82.6% |
| Tip chord | 762 mm | 94 mm | -668 mm | -87.7% |
| Sweep parameter | 0.484 | 3.400 | +2.916 | +602.5% |
| Dihedral | 1.00° | 4.00° | +3.00° | +300.0% |
| Tip twist | -1.50° | 0.00° | +1.50° | -100.0% |
| TE thickness | 2 mm | 0 mm | -1 mm | -80.0% |
| Sections | 40 | 30 | -10 | -25.0% |
| Tip cap reach | 0.250 | 0.400 | +0.150 | +60.0% |
| Derived | ||||
| Aspect ratio | 36.667 | 10.266 | -26.401 | -72.0% |
| Area | 31712462 mm² | 218576 mm² | -31493886 mm² | -99.3% |
| Taper | 0.726 | 0.514 | -0.212 | -29.2% |
| MAC | 939 mm | 151 mm | -788 mm | -83.9% |
| Sections | ||||
| Root section | dae11 | ag455ct02r | changed | — |
| Tip section | dae31 | ag47ct02r | changed | — |
| Shapedeviation at matched span fractions, 64 samples | ||||
| Chord deviation (max) | 867 mm | |||
| Chord deviation (RMS) | 786 mm | |||
| Twist deviation (max) | 1.50° | |||
| Dihedral deviation (max) | 245 mm | |||
| Tip cap deviation (max) | 16382 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×); “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
| V (kt) | MIT Daedalus 88 | Drela SuperGee II |
|---|---|---|
| 11.54 | 37.99 | 19.02 |
| 12.15 | 41.06 | 19.30 |
| 12.61 | 43.38 | 19.33 |
| 13.00 | 44.69 | 19.35 |
| 13.68 | 46.93 | 19.16 |
| 13.85 | 47.31 | 19.11 |
| 14.70 | 49.17 | 18.62 |
| 14.74 | 49.26 | 18.59 |
| 15.55 | 49.22 | 17.97 |