NACA 4412 Airfoil
The NACA 4412 is a high-lift member of the NACA 4-digit family: 12% thick, with a generous 4% camber at 40% of the chord. That extra camber makes it produce more lift than the 0012 or 2412 at the same angle of attack, which is why it is a classic choice where lift matters more than outright low drag.
What the numbers mean
In the code 4412, the first digit 4 is the maximum camber as 4% of the chord, the second digit 4 is the position of that maximum camber at 40% of the chord, and the last two digits 12 are the maximum thickness as 12% of the chord. It shares the 2412's thickness and camber position but has twice the camber.
Aerodynamic characteristics
Doubling the camber (from the 2412's 2% to 4%) lifts the whole curve further: the 4412 makes noticeably more lift at any given angle and reaches a higher maximum lift, at the cost of a stronger nose-down pitching moment and a little more drag. It is the textbook example of ‘more camber, more lift.’
| Property | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Zero-lift angle α₀ | ≈ −4° |
| Lift coefficient at 0° | ≈ 0.45 |
| Lift-curve slope | ≈ 0.10 /deg |
| Max lift coefficient Cl,max | ≈ 1.6–1.7 |
| Stall angle | ≈ 14–15° |
| Pitching moment Cm,c/4 | ≈ −0.10 |
Conditions: Reynolds number Re = 1×10⁶, low speed (Mach ≤ 0.15), smooth surface. Values are representative figures from thin-airfoil theory and published XFoil / wind-tunnel data, rounded for reference.
Where it's used
- High-lift wings — where generating lift at lower speeds matters more than minimum drag.
- Light aircraft and homebuilts — a well-documented cambered section.
- RC models and UAVs — popular for good lift and docile behaviour.
- Textbook & CFD example — often used alongside the 0012 and 2412 to show how camber changes lift, drag and pitching moment.
Coordinates
Surface coordinates as fractions of the chord (x/c, y/c), generated from the standard NACA 4-digit equations with a closed trailing edge. For the full high-resolution coordinate file, use the DAT export inside the explorer.
| x/c (upper) | y/c (upper) | x/c (lower) | y/c (lower) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.000 | +0.0000 | 0.000 | +0.0000 |
| 0.020 | +0.0302 | 0.029 | -0.0207 |
| 0.089 | +0.0623 | 0.102 | -0.0287 |
| 0.201 | +0.0880 | 0.212 | -0.0268 |
| 0.344 | +0.0988 | 0.347 | -0.0203 |
| 0.501 | +0.0917 | 0.499 | -0.0140 |
| 0.657 | +0.0734 | 0.652 | -0.0078 |
| 0.796 | +0.0491 | 0.792 | -0.0035 |
| 0.906 | +0.0247 | 0.903 | -0.0013 |
| 0.976 | +0.0067 | 0.975 | -0.0003 |
| 1.000 | -0.0000 | 1.000 | +0.0000 |
Explore NACA 4412 in the interactive tool →
See the 3D wing, live Cl / Cd / L-D polar charts, and change the airfoil, angle of attack and Reynolds number in real time.
Open the explorer →Frequently asked questions
NACA 4412 is a cambered airfoil from the NACA 4-digit family with 4% camber at 40% chord and 12% maximum thickness. Its high camber makes it a classic high-lift general-aviation and model-aircraft section.
The first 4 is 4% maximum camber, the second 4 is the camber position at 40% of the chord, and the 12 is 12% maximum thickness, all relative to the chord length.
Relatively, yes. With 4% camber it produces more lift at a given angle of attack and a higher maximum lift coefficient than lower-camber sections like the 2412 or the symmetric 0012, though it pays for it with more drag and a stronger nose-down moment.
Both are 12% thick with camber at 40% chord, but the 4412 has 4% camber versus the 2412's 2%. The 4412 makes more lift and has a more negative zero-lift angle (about -4 degrees vs -2), at the cost of more drag and a stronger pitching moment.