Airfoil Data
RAF38
RAF 38 AIRFOIL
Wing Geometry Simulator
The RAF 38 AIRFOIL is a 8.8% chord-thickness airfoil with a maximum camber of 4.4% at 30% 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 -4.4°.
Thin airfoil theory predicts a stall angle near 11.8° and a peak lift-to-drag ratio around 60 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 RAF38 appears in the wing design of at least 5 documented aircraft, including designs from Avions and Ilyushin. 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 RAF38 typically compare it against profiles of similar thickness: S7055 (10.5%) Flat-Bottomed, S1016, GOE 180 (MVA H.26) AIRFOIL, EPPLER 332 AIRFOIL, GOE 116 (MVA MK.3) AIRFOIL. The EH 2.0/7.0 is another reference profile frequently considered alongside it.
Aircraft Using the RAF38 Airfoil
Avions Fairey Tipsy Junior | Avions | RAF-38 ? | Constant |
Avions Fairey Tipsy S.2 | Avions | RAF-48 | RAF-28/RAF-38 |
Ilyushin I-21 (TsKB-32) | Ilyushin | RAF-38 | Constant |
Moskalyev SAM-9 Strela | Moskalyev | RAF-38 | Constant |
Sizer Sapphire | Sizer | RAF-38 | Constant |
Wing lofting: 1 of these aircraft taper from RAF38 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 RAF38 frequently compare it against profiles with comparable geometric constraints. Below are the closest matches based on maximum thickness (8.8%) and max camber (4.4%).