Gossamer Condor — 96 ft of wing at 11 mphvsGossamer Albatross II — same span, two-thirds the area
taper 0.500 → 0.850 · aspect ratio 12.914 → 18.901 · root chord 2862 mm → 1651 mm · sweep parameter 11.711 → 7.476 · mac 2358 mm → 1552 mm · area 66293551 mm² → 45296522 mm²
units
These analyses are not directly comparable
- different trim loads (942 N vs 991 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
- Gossamer Albatross II — same span, two-thirds the area
What changed
| Property | Gossamer Condor | Gossamer Albatross II | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | ||||
| Root chord | 2862 mm | 1651 mm | -1211 mm | -42.3% |
| Tip chord | 1431 mm | 1404 mm | -27 mm | -1.9% |
| Sweep parameter | 11.711 | 7.476 | -4.235 | -36.2% |
| Dihedral | 3.00° | 3.60° | +0.60° | +20.0% |
| Derived | ||||
| Aspect ratio | 12.914 | 18.901 | +5.986 | +46.4% |
| Area | 66293551 mm² | 45296522 mm² | -20997029 mm² | -31.7% |
| Taper | 0.500 | 0.850 | +0.350 | +70.1% |
| MAC | 2358 mm | 1552 mm | -806 mm | -34.2% |
| 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 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×); “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×). 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 Condor | Gossamer Albatross II |
|---|---|---|
| 9.63 | 25.83 | 22.41 |
| 10.24 | 27.83 | 25.44 |
| 10.67 | 29.14 | 27.60 |
| 11.07 | 30.35 | 28.73 |
| 11.71 | 31.77 | 30.52 |
| 11.91 | 32.21 | 31.03 |
| 12.74 | 32.83 | 33.19 |
| 12.75 | 32.83 | 33.21 |
| 13.57 | 32.27 | 35.07 |
| 13.78 | 31.95 | 35.55 |
| 14.41 | 31.02 | 36.38 |
| 14.82 | 30.34 | 36.94 |
| 15.24 | 29.65 | 36.92 |