Airfoil Data
FX38153
FX 38-153 AIRFOIL
Wing Geometry Simulator
The FX 38-153 AIRFOIL is a 9.7% chord-thickness airfoil with a maximum camber of 4.9% at 43% 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 -4.9°.
Thin airfoil theory predicts a stall angle near 11.7° and a peak lift-to-drag ratio around 63 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 FX38153 appears in the wing design of at least 1 documented aircraft — notably by Akaflieg. Its proven track record across canard designs makes it one of the more field-validated profiles in the UIUC database.
Designers evaluating the FX38153 typically compare it against profiles of similar thickness: EPPLER 337 AIRFOIL, Rhode St. Genese 30, DELFT DU84-132V3 AIRFOIL (MEASURED), GOE 477 AIRFOIL, GOE 623 AIRFOIL. The NACA 5-H-10 AIRFOIL is another reference profile frequently considered alongside it.
Aircraft Using the FX38153 Airfoil
Akaflieg Aachen FVA 27 | Akaflieg | Wortmann FX 38-153 | Wortmann FX 63-137 |
Wing lofting: 1 of these aircraft taper from FX38153 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 FX38153 frequently compare it against profiles with comparable geometric constraints. Below are the closest matches based on maximum thickness (9.7%) and max camber (4.9%).