Find the perfect airfoil profile for your wing.
A professional aerospace engineering application. Input your lift, drag, and velocity targets to dynamically compute chord lengths, wingspans, and optimal wing parameters in real time.
Wing Design & Airfoil Advisor.
Modify the design parameters, flight targets, and mission constraints below. The recommendation engine and layout calculators will update in real time without page refreshes.
Design Inputs
NACA 2412
The workhorse of general aviation, famously used on the Cessna 172. Offers highly predictable stall characteristics, reasonable lift, and a good balance of speed and structural thickness.
Airfoil Compatibility Rankings
Wing Parameter Calculations
Airfoil Profile Plotter
Lift Coefficient (CL) vs Alpha (α)
Drag Polar Curve (CL vs CD)
Airfoil Profile Database.
Browse our curated database of classic NACA and specialized profiles. View geometric parameters, typical operating regimes, and download coordinates.
NACA 0012
SymmetricClassic symmetric airfoil profile. Zero camber makes it ideal for aircraft tailplanes, aerobatic planes requiring identical upright and inverted performance, and control surfaces.
NACA 2412
General AviationThe workhorse of general aviation, famously used on the Cessna 172. Offers highly predictable stall characteristics, reasonable lift, and a good balance of speed and structural thickness.
NACA 4412
High LiftA cambered airfoil designed to generate high lift at lower velocities. Highly suited for cargo UAVs, bush planes, agricultural aircraft, and RC trainer models.
Clark Y
General AviationFamous historical flat-bottomed airfoil. Excellent lift properties and simplified construction parameters make it a favorite for model builders and early utility aircraft.
Selig S1223
High LiftExtreme high-lift profile designed specifically for heavy-lift RC cargo competitions and micro UAV projects. Extremely concave under-camber generates massive lift at low speeds, with a penalty in drag.
MH 32
Glider / SailplanePopular German sailplane profile designed for low drag across a wide speed range. Enables sailplanes and electric gliders to transition seamlessly between thermal soaring and rapid glides.
Eppler 387
Glider / SailplaneA classic low-Reynolds thermal glider airfoil. Features very gentle stall characteristics and a reliable lift-to-drag ratio for sport flyers and thermal competitors.
NACA 64-215
SpecializedA laminar flow profile designed for high-speed flight. Relies on maintaining a laminar boundary layer across the front of the chord to achieve extremely low drag at cruise velocities.
SG 6043
SpecializedHighly cambered profile engineered for low-speed wind turbine blades, propellers, and micro-air vehicles (MAVs) operating in very low Reynolds number regimes.
Wortmann FX 63-137
High LiftA prominent German high-lift sailplane profile, also adapted to small wind turbines. Blends high maximum lift with a low drag penalty relative to the thickness.
NACA 0009
SymmetricVery thin symmetric airfoil profile (9% thickness). Low drag coefficient, highly responsive. Designed for control fins, rudders, and high-speed symmetric wings.
Aerodynamic Principles.
Understand the math and mechanics behind wing design calculations. Explore how key variables shape the performance of an aircraft.
Lift & Drag Coefficients
Lift ($C_L$) and Drag ($C_D$) coefficients are dimensionless units representing the aerodynamic force generated by a body. They isolate the shape properties of the airfoil from flow parameters (velocity, scale, density).
D = 0.5 * ρ * V² * S * C_D # Drag Force (N)
In steady level flight, the lift force must exactly equal the weight of the aircraft ($L = W = M \cdot g$). Therefore, increasing flight speed ($V$) or air density ($\rho$) reduces the required wing surface area ($S$) needed to sustain flight at a fixed lift coefficient.