Piper PA-28 Cherokee — the Hershey-bar wingvsDrela SuperGee II — a 1.5 m discus-launch glider, drawn to the plan
root section naca652415 → ag455ct02r · tip section — → ag47ct02r · area 14868144 mm² → 218576 mm² · tip chord 1626 mm → 94 mm · mac 1626 mm → 151 mm · te thickness 3 mm → 0 mm
units
These analyses are not directly comparable
- different trim loads (9565 N vs 2 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
- Drela SuperGee II — a 1.5 m discus-launch glider, drawn to the plan
What changed
| Property | Piper PA-28 Cherokee | Drela SuperGee II | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | ||||
| Span | 9144 mm | 1498 mm | -7646 mm | -83.6% |
| Root chord | 1626 mm | 183 mm | -1443 mm | -88.7% |
| Tip chord | 1626 mm | 94 mm | -1532 mm | -94.2% |
| Sweep parameter | 0.000 | 3.400 | +3.400 | — |
| Dihedral | 7.00° | 4.00° | -3.00° | -42.9% |
| TE thickness | 3 mm | 0 mm | -3 mm | -90.0% |
| Sections | 40 | 30 | -10 | -25.0% |
| Tip cap reach | 0.300 | 0.400 | +0.100 | +33.3% |
| Derived | ||||
| Aspect ratio | 5.624 | 10.266 | +4.643 | +82.6% |
| Area | 14868144 mm² | 218576 mm² | -14649568 mm² | -98.5% |
| Taper | 1.000 | 0.514 | -0.486 | -48.6% |
| MAC | 1626 mm | 151 mm | -1475 mm | -90.7% |
| Sections | ||||
| Root section | naca652415 | ag455ct02r | changed | — |
| Tip section | — | ag47ct02r | changed | — |
| Shapedeviation at matched span fractions, 64 samples | ||||
| Chord deviation (max) | 1532 mm | |||
| Chord deviation (RMS) | 1480 mm | |||
| Twist deviation (max) | 0.00° | |||
| Dihedral deviation (max) | 509 mm | |||
| Tip cap deviation (max) | 4191 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×); “Drela SuperGee II” integrates to CL 0.056 against the polar’s CL at the same α (this analysis predates the loading reporting its own) 0.371 (0.15×). 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 | Drela SuperGee II |
|---|---|---|
| 0.014 | 0.382 | 0.259 |
| 0.016 | 0.401 | 0.290 |
| 0.017 | 0.427 | 0.327 |
| 0.018 | 0.443 | 0.347 |
| 0.019 | 0.458 | 0.371 |
| 0.022 | 0.497 | 0.425 |
| 0.025 | 0.537 | 0.473 |
| 0.026 | 0.549 | 0.491 |
| 0.032 | 0.613 | 0.574 |
| 0.037 | 0.666 | 0.631 |
| 0.041 | 0.699 | 0.681 |
| 0.060 | 0.848 | 0.807 |
| 0.062 | 0.860 | 0.819 |