Airfoil Data
NACAM3
NACA M3
Wing Geometry Simulator
The NACA M3 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.
The NACAM3 appears in the wing design of at least 4 documented aircraft, including designs from Akaflieg and Pitcairn-Cierva. Its proven track record across conventional and rotorcraft designs makes it one of the more field-validated profiles in the UIUC database.
Designers evaluating the NACAM3 typically compare it against profiles of similar thickness: NACA M3 AIRFOIL, NACA M11 AIRFOIL, MH 49, NACA 1410, HQ 1.0/10 AIRFOIL. The NACA M5 AIRFOIL is another reference profile frequently considered alongside it.
Aircraft Using the NACAM3 Airfoil
Akaflieg Aachen FVA 10A Rheinland | Akaflieg | Goettingen 433/532 | NACA M-3 |
Akaflieg Aachen FVA 10B Rheinland | Akaflieg | Goettingen 433/532 | NACA M-3 |
Pitcairn-Cierva PCA-2 | Pitcairn-Cierva | NACA M-3 mod | Constant |
Preti CVV-6 Canguru | Preti | Goettingen 549 mod | Goettingen 676/NACA M-3 |
Wing lofting: 3 of these aircraft taper from NACAM3 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 NACAM3 frequently compare it against profiles with comparable geometric constraints. Below are the closest matches based on maximum thickness (5.9%) and max camber (3.0%).