Drela SuperGee II — a 1.5 m discus-launch glider, drawn to the planvsGossamer Condor — 96 ft of wing at 11 mph
root section ag455ct02r → l7769 · tip section ag47ct02r → — · area 218576 mm² → 66293551 mm² · span 1498 mm → 29260 mm · root chord 183 mm → 2862 mm · mac 151 mm → 2358 mm
units
These analyses are not directly comparable
- different trim loads (2 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.
- Drela SuperGee II — a 1.5 m discus-launch glider, drawn to the plan
- Gossamer Condor — 96 ft of wing at 11 mph
What changed
| Property | Drela SuperGee II | Gossamer Condor | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry | ||||
| Span | 1498 mm | 29260 mm | +27762 mm | +1853.3% |
| Root chord | 183 mm | 2862 mm | +2679 mm | +1463.9% |
| Tip chord | 94 mm | 1431 mm | +1337 mm | +1422.3% |
| Sweep parameter | 3.400 | 11.711 | +8.311 | +244.4% |
| Dihedral | 4.00° | 3.00° | -1.00° | -25.0% |
| TE thickness | 0 mm | 2 mm | +1 mm | +400.0% |
| Sections | 30 | 40 | +10 | +33.3% |
| Tip cap reach | 0.400 | 0.200 | -0.200 | -50.0% |
| Derived | ||||
| Aspect ratio | 10.266 | 12.914 | +2.648 | +25.8% |
| Area | 218576 mm² | 66293551 mm² | +66074975 mm² | +30229.8% |
| Taper | 0.514 | 0.500 | -0.014 | -2.7% |
| MAC | 151 mm | 2358 mm | +2207 mm | +1456.9% |
| Sections | ||||
| Root section | ag455ct02r | l7769 | changed | — |
| Tip section | ag47ct02r | — | changed | — |
| Shapedeviation at matched span fractions, 64 samples | ||||
| Chord deviation (max) | 2679 mm | |||
| Chord deviation (RMS) | 2162 mm | |||
| Twist deviation (max) | 0.00° | |||
| Dihedral deviation (max) | 714 mm | |||
| Tip cap deviation (max) | 14483 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 — “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×); “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
| V (kt) | Drela SuperGee II | Gossamer Condor |
|---|---|---|
| 8.75 | 13.28 | 22.79 |
| 9.41 | 15.90 | 25.08 |
| 9.60 | 16.67 | 25.71 |
| 10.24 | 17.75 | 27.83 |
| 10.45 | 18.11 | 28.46 |
| 11.07 | 18.70 | 30.35 |
| 11.30 | 18.91 | 30.86 |
| 11.91 | 19.19 | 32.21 |
| 12.15 | 19.30 | 32.39 |
| 12.74 | 19.33 | 32.83 |
| 13.00 | 19.35 | 32.66 |
| 13.57 | 19.19 | 32.27 |
| 13.85 | 19.11 | 31.85 |
| 14.41 | 18.79 | 31.02 |
| 14.70 | 18.62 | 30.54 |
| 15.24 | 18.21 | 29.65 |