XFLR5 — The Complete Guide: Free Analysis of Airfoils, Wings and Small Aircraft
XFLR5 is an open-source tool for the aerodynamic analysis of airfoils, wings and aircraft at low speeds. It combines XFoil for 2D airfoil analysis with methods for 3D wings, and is widely used in the design of UAVs, fixed-wing drones and student projects.
XFLR5
XFLR5 Project
Aerofoil and aircraft analysis for low Reynolds numbers.
Get it from the vendorWorkflow
- Airfoil — load an airfoil (NACA or from a file), analyse lift, drag and moment by Reynolds number.
- Wing and aircraft — define span, chord, sweep, tail and control surfaces.
- Analysis — lifting line, VLM and 3D panels: total lift, spanwise distribution, induced drag and trim point.
- Stability — centre of gravity, stability derivatives and modes.
Limitations
The methods suit low speeds and attached flow. At high angles of attack, with flow separation or at higher speeds you need full CFD — SU2 or OpenFOAM. For complex aircraft geometry — OpenVSP.
XFOIL
MIT — Mark Drela
Airfoil analysis and design at low Reynolds numbers — the classic reference in the field.
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OpenVSP
NASA
NASA parametric aircraft geometry modelling for conceptual design.
Get it from the vendorSU2
SU2 Foundation
Multiphysics CFD with adjoint-based design optimisation — systematic shape improvement.
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OpenRocket
OpenRocket Project
Design and flight simulation for model and high-power rockets.
Get it from the vendorThe bottom line
XFLR5 is the most widely used free tool for preliminary design of wings and small aircraft, and an excellent starting point before moving to heavy simulation.