Piper PA-28 Cherokee — the Hershey-bar wingvsCessna 172 Skyhawk — the most-built wing in aviation
root section naca652415 → naca2412 · dihedral 7.00° → 1.73° · tip cap reach 0.300 → 0.200 · aspect ratio 5.624 → 7.350 · span 9144 mm → 11000 mm · taper 1.000 → 0.804
units
These analyses are not directly comparable
- different trim loads (9565 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.
- Piper PA-28 Cherokee — the Hershey-bar wing
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk — the most-built wing in aviation
What changed
| Property | Piper PA-28 Cherokee | Cessna 172 Skyhawk | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | ||||
| Span | 9144 mm | 11000 mm | +1856 mm | +20.3% |
| Root chord | 1626 mm | 1630 mm | +4 mm | +0.2% |
| Tip chord | 1626 mm | 1310 mm | -316 mm | -19.4% |
| Sweep parameter | 0.000 | 1.666 | +1.666 | — |
| Dihedral | 7.00° | 1.73° | -5.27° | -75.3% |
| Tip twist | 0.00° | -3.00° | -3.00° | — |
| Tip cap reach | 0.300 | 0.200 | -0.100 | -33.3% |
| Derived | ||||
| Aspect ratio | 5.624 | 7.350 | +1.726 | +30.7% |
| Area | 14868144 mm² | 16463140 mm² | +1594996 mm² | +10.7% |
| Taper | 1.000 | 0.804 | -0.196 | -19.6% |
| MAC | 1626 mm | 1504 mm | -122 mm | -7.5% |
| Sections | ||||
| Root section | naca652415 | naca2412 | changed | — |
| Shapedeviation at matched span fractions, 64 samples | ||||
| Chord deviation (max) | 316 mm | |||
| Chord deviation (RMS) | 166 mm | |||
| Twist deviation (max) | 3.00° | |||
| Dihedral deviation (max) | 395 mm | |||
| Tip cap deviation (max) | 958 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 — “Piper PA-28 Cherokee” integrates to CL 0.007 against the polar’s CL at the same α (this analysis predates the loading reporting its own) 0.271 (0.03×); “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
| V (kt) | Piper PA-28 Cherokee | Cessna 172 Skyhawk |
|---|---|---|
| 66.29 | 13.50 | 17.11 |
| 68.12 | 14.15 | 17.92 |
| 76.83 | 18.20 | 21.72 |
| 76.85 | 18.21 | 21.73 |
| 85.57 | 21.58 | 24.95 |
| 87.38 | 22.19 | 25.62 |
| 94.29 | 24.51 | 27.29 |
| 97.92 | 25.51 | 28.17 |
| 103 | 26.91 | 28.74 |
| 108 | 27.98 | 29.35 |
| 112 | 28.63 | 29.34 |
| 119 | 29.34 | 29.31 |
| 120 | 29.48 | 29.19 |
| 129 | 29.35 | 28.45 |
| 130 | 29.31 | 28.42 |
| 138 | 28.40 | 27.27 |
| 140 | 28.04 | 26.97 |
| 147 | 26.97 | 25.95 |
| 151 | 26.15 | 25.33 |
| 155 | 25.18 | 24.50 |
| 161 | 24.10 | 23.47 |
| 164 | 23.56 | 23.00 |
| 172 | 22.10 | 21.76 |
| 173 | 21.90 | 21.58 |