Airfoil Data
E473

The EPPLER 473 AIRFOIL is a 8.1% chord-thickness airfoil with a maximum camber of 4.0% at 21% chord, suited to general-aviation and UAV wing design. At zero angle of attack the cambered geometry generates positive lift, giving an estimated zero-lift angle of -4.0°.

Thin airfoil theory predicts a stall angle near 11.8° and a peak lift-to-drag ratio around 58 at typical UAV and light-aircraft Reynolds numbers — useful benchmarks before running a full XFOIL or NeuralFoil polar. The slim profile minimises pressure drag at higher speeds but leaves limited spar depth for structural integration.

Designers evaluating the E473 typically compare it against profiles of similar thickness: NACA M7 AIRFOIL, GOE 517 AIRFOIL, DEFIANT CANARD BL145 AIRFOIL, RAF 31 AIRFOIL, AH 79-100 A AIRFOIL. The HQ 0/10 AIRFOIL is another reference profile frequently considered alongside it.