Airfoil Data
M3

The NACA M3 AIRFOIL is a thin 5.9% chord-thickness airfoil with a maximum camber of 3.0% at 30% chord, suited to high-speed UAVs, sailplane tip sections, and propeller blade design. At zero angle of attack the cambered geometry generates positive lift, giving an estimated zero-lift angle of -3.0°.

Thin airfoil theory predicts a stall angle near 11.9° and a peak lift-to-drag ratio around 52 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 M3 typically compare it against profiles of similar thickness: NACA M3, NACA M11 AIRFOIL, MH 49, NACA 1410, HQ 1.0/10 AIRFOIL. The NACA 16-012 is another reference profile frequently considered alongside it.