Home / Photos / A Short History of Airfoils Photos A Short History of Airfoils By September 25, 2009 ColumnArt_Web Possibly the most widely used airfoil of all time, the NACA 23012 combined high lift, low drag, mild pitching moments, and even a bit of laminar flow on its lower surface. It was designed in 1935 by NACA Langley researcher Eastman Jacobs. More From Photos A Fond Memory: Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo 2023 Gallery: The Evolution of Van's Aircraft Gallery: Tails on Display at Oshkosh Gallery: Wednesday at Oshkosh Photos: <i>FLYING</i> Honors Award Winners at Adventure Party First Look: Supernal's Air Taxi Passenger Cabin