Piper PA-28 Cherokee — the Hershey-bar wingvsGossamer Condor — 96 ft of wing at 11 mph
root section naca652415 → l7769 · area 14868144 mm² → 66293551 mm² · span 9144 mm → 29260 mm · aspect ratio 5.624 → 12.914 · root chord 1626 mm → 2862 mm · dihedral 7.00° → 3.00°
units
These analyses are not directly comparable
- different trim loads (9565 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.
- Piper PA-28 Cherokee — the Hershey-bar wing
- Gossamer Condor — 96 ft of wing at 11 mph
What changed
| Property | Piper PA-28 Cherokee | Gossamer Condor | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | ||||
| Span | 9144 mm | 29260 mm | +20116 mm | +220.0% |
| Root chord | 1626 mm | 2862 mm | +1236 mm | +76.0% |
| Tip chord | 1626 mm | 1431 mm | -195 mm | -12.0% |
| Sweep parameter | 0.000 | 11.711 | +11.711 | — |
| Dihedral | 7.00° | 3.00° | -4.00° | -57.1% |
| TE thickness | 3 mm | 2 mm | -2 mm | -50.0% |
| Tip cap reach | 0.300 | 0.200 | -0.100 | -33.3% |
| Derived | ||||
| Aspect ratio | 5.624 | 12.914 | +7.291 | +129.6% |
| Area | 14868144 mm² | 66293551 mm² | +51425407 mm² | +345.9% |
| Taper | 1.000 | 0.500 | -0.500 | -50.0% |
| MAC | 1626 mm | 2358 mm | +732 mm | +45.0% |
| Sections | ||||
| Root section | naca652415 | l7769 | changed | — |
| Shapedeviation at matched span fractions, 64 samples | ||||
| Chord deviation (max) | 1236 mm | |||
| Chord deviation (RMS) | 789 mm | |||
| Twist deviation (max) | 0.00° | |||
| Dihedral deviation (max) | 205 mm | |||
| Tip cap deviation (max) | 10408 mm | |||
Performance
CoefficientsDimensionless — how good the shape is, independent of size and speed.
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×); “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
| CD | Piper PA-28 Cherokee | Gossamer Condor |
|---|---|---|
| 0.013 | 0.349 | 0.377 |
| 0.014 | 0.367 | 0.422 |
| 0.014 | 0.371 | 0.431 |
| 0.015 | 0.387 | 0.475 |
| 0.016 | 0.415 | 0.539 |
| 0.018 | 0.443 | 0.586 |
| 0.019 | 0.458 | 0.617 |
| 0.024 | 0.518 | 0.714 |
| 0.025 | 0.537 | 0.740 |
| 0.030 | 0.594 | 0.835 |
| 0.037 | 0.666 | 0.943 |
| 0.039 | 0.689 | 0.989 |
| 0.054 | 0.799 | 1.19 |
| 0.060 | 0.848 | 1.25 |
| 0.085 | 1.01 | 1.46 |