Piper J-3 Cub — a rectangular wing that worksvsGossamer Condor — 96 ft of wing at 11 mph
root section usa35b → l7769 · area 16577850 mm² → 66293551 mm² · dihedral 1.00° → 3.00° · span 10730 mm → 29260 mm · aspect ratio 6.945 → 12.914 · root chord 1545 mm → 2862 mm
units
These analyses are not directly comparable
- different trim loads (5396 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 J-3 Cub — a rectangular wing that works
- Gossamer Condor — 96 ft of wing at 11 mph
What changed
| Property | Piper J-3 Cub | Gossamer Condor | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | ||||
| Span | 10730 mm | 29260 mm | +18530 mm | +172.7% |
| Root chord | 1545 mm | 2862 mm | +1317 mm | +85.2% |
| Tip chord | 1545 mm | 1431 mm | -114 mm | -7.4% |
| Sweep parameter | 0.000 | 11.711 | +11.711 | — |
| Dihedral | 1.00° | 3.00° | +2.00° | +200.0% |
| TE thickness | 3 mm | 2 mm | -2 mm | -50.0% |
| Tip cap reach | 0.300 | 0.200 | -0.100 | -33.3% |
| Derived | ||||
| Aspect ratio | 6.945 | 12.914 | +5.970 | +86.0% |
| Area | 16577850 mm² | 66293551 mm² | +49715701 mm² | +299.9% |
| Taper | 1.000 | 0.500 | -0.500 | -50.0% |
| MAC | 1545 mm | 2358 mm | +813 mm | +52.7% |
| Sections | ||||
| Root section | usa35b | l7769 | changed | — |
| Shapedeviation at matched span fractions, 64 samples | ||||
| Chord deviation (max) | 1317 mm | |||
| Chord deviation (RMS) | 855 mm | |||
| Twist deviation (max) | 0.00° | |||
| Dihedral deviation (max) | 673 mm | |||
| Tip cap deviation (max) | 9643 mm | |||
Performance
CoefficientsDimensionless — how good the shape is, independent of size and speed.
Spanwise
withheld — “Piper J-3 Cub” integrates to CL 0.002 against the polar’s CL at the same α (this analysis predates the loading reporting its own) 0.330 (0.01×); “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 J-3 Cub | Gossamer Condor |
|---|---|---|
| 0.013 | 0.333 | 0.377 |
| 0.014 | 0.354 | 0.422 |
| 0.015 | 0.378 | 0.469 |
| 0.015 | 0.380 | 0.475 |
| 0.016 | 0.416 | 0.539 |
| 0.017 | 0.437 | 0.568 |
| 0.019 | 0.469 | 0.617 |
| 0.021 | 0.511 | 0.669 |
| 0.024 | 0.545 | 0.714 |
| 0.027 | 0.605 | 0.782 |
| 0.030 | 0.644 | 0.835 |
| 0.036 | 0.729 | 0.937 |
| 0.039 | 0.761 | 0.989 |
| 0.053 | 0.894 | 1.17 |
| 0.054 | 0.903 | 1.19 |
| 0.081 | 1.12 | 1.43 |
| 0.085 | 1.15 | 1.46 |