Airfoil Data
RAF6

The RAF 6 AIRFOIL is a 9.6% chord-thickness airfoil with a maximum camber of 4.8% 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 -4.8°.

Thin airfoil theory predicts a stall angle near 11.7° and a peak lift-to-drag ratio around 62 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 RAF6 appears in the wing design of at least 13 documented aircraft, including designs from Curtiss and Handley. Its proven track record across canard designs makes it one of the more field-validated profiles in the UIUC database.

Designers evaluating the RAF6 typically compare it against profiles of similar thickness: FX 60-126/1 AIRFOIL, GOE 167 (V.KARMAN PROP.2) AIRFOIL, GOE 285 AIRFOIL, EPPLER 407 AIRFOIL, EPPLER 637 AIRFOIL. The NACA 23021 is another reference profile frequently considered alongside it.