Gossamer Albatross II — same span, two-thirds the areavsGossamer Condor — 96 ft of wing at 11 mph
root chord 1651 mm → 2862 mm · sweep parameter 7.476 → 11.711 · mac 1552 mm → 2358 mm · area 45296522 mm² → 66293551 mm² · taper 0.850 → 0.500 · aspect ratio 18.901 → 12.914
units
These analyses are not directly comparable
- different trim loads (991 N vs 942 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
- Gossamer Condor — 96 ft of wing at 11 mph
What changed
| Property | Gossamer Albatross II | Gossamer Condor | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | ||||
| Root chord | 1651 mm | 2862 mm | +1211 mm | +73.3% |
| Tip chord | 1404 mm | 1431 mm | +27 mm | +1.9% |
| Sweep parameter | 7.476 | 11.711 | +4.235 | +56.6% |
| Dihedral | 3.60° | 3.00° | -0.60° | -16.7% |
| Derived | ||||
| Aspect ratio | 18.901 | 12.914 | -5.986 | -31.7% |
| Area | 45296522 mm² | 66293551 mm² | +20997029 mm² | +46.4% |
| Taper | 0.850 | 0.500 | -0.350 | -41.2% |
| MAC | 1552 mm | 2358 mm | +806 mm | +52.0% |
| Sections | ||||
| Shapedeviation at matched span fractions, 64 samples | ||||
| Chord deviation (max) | 1211 mm | |||
| Chord deviation (RMS) | 812 mm | |||
| Twist deviation (max) | 0.00° | |||
| Dihedral deviation (max) | 154 mm | |||
| Tip cap deviation (max) | 844 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×); “Gossamer Condor” integrates to CL 0.112 against the polar’s CL at the same α (this analysis predates the loading reporting its own) 0.539 (0.21×). 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 | Gossamer Condor |
|---|---|---|
| 9.63 | 22.41 | 25.83 |
| 10.24 | 25.44 | 27.83 |
| 10.67 | 27.60 | 29.14 |
| 11.07 | 28.73 | 30.35 |
| 11.71 | 30.52 | 31.77 |
| 11.91 | 31.03 | 32.21 |
| 12.74 | 33.19 | 32.83 |
| 12.75 | 33.21 | 32.83 |
| 13.57 | 35.07 | 32.27 |
| 13.78 | 35.55 | 31.95 |
| 14.41 | 36.38 | 31.02 |
| 14.82 | 36.94 | 30.34 |
| 15.24 | 36.92 | 29.65 |