Gossamer Condor — 96 ft of wing at 11 mphvsCessna 172 Skyhawk — the most-built wing in aviation
root section l7769 → naca2412 · te thickness 2 mm → 3 mm · sweep parameter 11.711 → 1.666 · area 66293551 mm² → 16463140 mm² · span 29260 mm → 11000 mm · taper 0.500 → 0.804
units
These analyses are not directly comparable
- different trim loads (942 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 Condor — 96 ft of wing at 11 mph
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk — the most-built wing in aviation
What changed
| Property | Gossamer Condor | Cessna 172 Skyhawk | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | ||||
| Span | 29260 mm | 11000 mm | -18260 mm | -62.4% |
| Root chord | 2862 mm | 1630 mm | -1232 mm | -43.0% |
| Tip chord | 1431 mm | 1310 mm | -121 mm | -8.5% |
| Sweep parameter | 11.711 | 1.666 | -10.045 | -85.8% |
| Dihedral | 3.00° | 1.73° | -1.27° | -42.3% |
| Tip twist | 0.00° | -3.00° | -3.00° | — |
| TE thickness | 2 mm | 3 mm | +2 mm | +100.0% |
| Derived | ||||
| Aspect ratio | 12.914 | 7.350 | -5.565 | -43.1% |
| Area | 66293551 mm² | 16463140 mm² | -49830410 mm² | -75.2% |
| Taper | 0.500 | 0.804 | +0.304 | +60.7% |
| MAC | 2358 mm | 1504 mm | -855 mm | -36.2% |
| Sections | ||||
| Root section | l7769 | naca2412 | changed | — |
| Shapedeviation at matched span fractions, 64 samples | ||||
| Chord deviation (max) | 1232 mm | |||
| Chord deviation (RMS) | 848 mm | |||
| Twist deviation (max) | 3.00° | |||
| Dihedral deviation (max) | 601 mm | |||
| Tip cap deviation (max) | 9531 mm | |||
Performance
CoefficientsDimensionless — how good the shape is, independent of size and speed.
Spanwise
withheld — “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×); “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 Condor | Cessna 172 Skyhawk |
|---|---|---|
| 0.013 | 0.377 | 0.368 |
| 0.014 | 0.422 | 0.389 |
| 0.015 | 0.475 | 0.416 |
| 0.015 | 0.484 | 0.422 |
| 0.016 | 0.539 | 0.449 |
| 0.019 | 0.617 | 0.501 |
| 0.021 | 0.651 | 0.529 |
| 0.024 | 0.714 | 0.570 |
| 0.030 | 0.835 | 0.663 |
| 0.032 | 0.860 | 0.685 |
| 0.039 | 0.989 | 0.769 |
| 0.054 | 1.19 | 0.919 |
| 0.054 | 1.19 | 0.920 |