Airfoil Data
NACA16018

The NACA 16-018 is a 9.0% chord-thickness airfoil with a maximum camber of 4.5% at 50% chord, suited to transonic and supercritical wing sections where aft-camber reduces wave drag. At zero angle of attack the cambered geometry generates positive lift, giving an estimated zero-lift angle of -4.5°.

Thin airfoil theory predicts a stall angle near 11.8° and a peak lift-to-drag ratio around 61 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 NACA16018 typically compare it against profiles of similar thickness: GOE 559 AIRFOIL, USA-35B AIRFOIL, Dormoy, CLARK X AIRFOIL, NACA 66-018. The NACA 5-H-15 AIRFOIL is another reference profile frequently considered alongside it.