Airfoil Data
NACA651212
NACA 65(1)-212
Wing Geometry Simulator
The NACA 65(1)-212 is a thin 7.1% chord-thickness airfoil with a maximum camber of 3.5% at 40% 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 -3.5°.
Thin airfoil theory predicts a stall angle near 11.8° and a peak lift-to-drag ratio around 55 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.
The NACA651212 appears in the wing design of at least 1 documented aircraft — notably by Papa. Its proven track record across rotorcraft designs makes it one of the more field-validated profiles in the UIUC database.
Designers evaluating the NACA651212 typically compare it against profiles of similar thickness: SA7035, NASA RC(4)-10 AIRFOIL, SD7084 (9.6%), GOE 147 (MVA H.6) AIRFOIL, NACA 64(1)-212. The NACA M19 AIRFOIL is another reference profile frequently considered alongside it.
Aircraft Using the NACA651212 Airfoil
Papa 51 Thunder Mustang | Papa | NACA 65-?15 mod | NACA 65-?12 mod |
Wing lofting: 1 of these aircraft taper from NACA651212 at the root to a different tip section. Use the Tapered filter to isolate them, then click any tip airfoil link to compare geometries.
Related Airfoils
Engineers evaluating the NACA651212 frequently compare it against profiles with comparable geometric constraints. Below are the closest matches based on maximum thickness (7.1%) and max camber (3.5%).