Gossamer Albatross II — same span, two-thirds the areavsCessna 172 Skyhawk — the most-built wing in aviation
root section l7769 → naca2412 · te thickness 2 mm → 3 mm · sweep parameter 7.476 → 1.666 · area 45296522 mm² → 16463140 mm² · span 29260 mm → 11000 mm · aspect ratio 18.901 → 7.350
units
These analyses are not directly comparable
- different trim loads (991 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.
- Gossamer Albatross II — same span, two-thirds the area
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk — the most-built wing in aviation
What changed
| Property | Gossamer Albatross II | Cessna 172 Skyhawk | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | ||||
| Span | 29260 mm | 11000 mm | -18260 mm | -62.4% |
| Root chord | 1651 mm | 1630 mm | -21 mm | -1.3% |
| Tip chord | 1404 mm | 1310 mm | -94 mm | -6.7% |
| Sweep parameter | 7.476 | 1.666 | -5.810 | -77.7% |
| Dihedral | 3.60° | 1.73° | -1.87° | -51.9% |
| Tip twist | 0.00° | -3.00° | -3.00° | — |
| TE thickness | 2 mm | 3 mm | +2 mm | +100.0% |
| Derived | ||||
| Aspect ratio | 18.901 | 7.350 | -11.551 | -61.1% |
| Area | 45296522 mm² | 16463140 mm² | -28833382 mm² | -63.7% |
| Taper | 0.850 | 0.804 | -0.047 | -5.5% |
| MAC | 1552 mm | 1504 mm | -48 mm | -3.1% |
| Sections | ||||
| Root section | l7769 | naca2412 | changed | — |
| Shapedeviation at matched span fractions, 64 samples | ||||
| Chord deviation (max) | 94 mm | |||
| Chord deviation (RMS) | 57 mm | |||
| Twist deviation (max) | 3.00° | |||
| Dihedral deviation (max) | 754 mm | |||
| Tip cap deviation (max) | 9325 mm | |||
Performance
CoefficientsDimensionless — how good the shape is, independent of size and speed.
Spanwise
withheld — “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×); “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 | Gossamer Albatross II | Cessna 172 Skyhawk |
|---|---|---|
| 0.012 | 0.374 | 0.349 |
| 0.013 | 0.419 | 0.363 |
| 0.013 | 0.472 | 0.381 |
| 0.015 | 0.535 | 0.411 |
| 0.015 | 0.552 | 0.422 |
| 0.017 | 0.613 | 0.452 |
| 0.020 | 0.709 | 0.516 |
| 0.021 | 0.726 | 0.529 |
| 0.025 | 0.829 | 0.591 |
| 0.032 | 0.968 | 0.685 |
| 0.032 | 0.982 | 0.692 |
| 0.043 | 1.18 | 0.804 |
| 0.054 | 1.32 | 0.920 |