Gossamer Albatross II — same span, two-thirds the areavsMIT Daedalus 88 — the 34 m human-powered wing
root section l7769 → dae11 · tip section — → dae31 · aspect ratio 18.901 → 36.667 · sweep parameter 7.476 → 0.484 · dihedral 3.60° → 1.00° · tip chord 1404 mm → 762 mm
units
These analyses are not directly comparable
- different trim loads (991 N vs 1020 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
- MIT Daedalus 88 — the 34 m human-powered wing
What changed
| Property | Gossamer Albatross II | MIT Daedalus 88 | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | ||||
| Span | 29260 mm | 34100 mm | +4840 mm | +16.5% |
| Root chord | 1651 mm | 1050 mm | -601 mm | -36.4% |
| Tip chord | 1404 mm | 762 mm | -642 mm | -45.7% |
| Sweep parameter | 7.476 | 0.484 | -6.992 | -93.5% |
| Dihedral | 3.60° | 1.00° | -2.60° | -72.2% |
| Tip twist | 0.00° | -1.50° | -1.50° | — |
| Tip cap reach | 0.200 | 0.250 | +0.050 | +25.0% |
| Derived | ||||
| Aspect ratio | 18.901 | 36.667 | +17.766 | +94.0% |
| Area | 45296522 mm² | 31712462 mm² | -13584060 mm² | -30.0% |
| Taper | 0.850 | 0.726 | -0.125 | -14.7% |
| MAC | 1552 mm | 939 mm | -613 mm | -39.5% |
| Sections | ||||
| Root section | l7769 | dae11 | 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 — “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×); “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×). 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) | Gossamer Albatross II | MIT Daedalus 88 |
|---|---|---|
| 11.54 | 30.04 | 37.99 |
| 11.71 | 30.52 | 38.84 |
| 12.61 | 32.85 | 43.38 |
| 12.75 | 33.21 | 43.85 |
| 13.68 | 35.30 | 46.93 |
| 13.78 | 35.55 | 47.17 |
| 14.74 | 36.83 | 49.26 |
| 14.82 | 36.94 | 49.26 |
| 15.81 | 36.90 | 49.21 |
| 15.86 | 36.90 | 49.11 |
| 16.88 | 35.55 | 46.91 |
| 16.90 | 35.53 | 46.86 |
| 17.93 | 33.46 | 43.93 |
| 17.95 | 33.44 | 43.90 |
| 18.97 | 31.37 | 41.19 |