Flying on reflex
Bastienne Wentzel
The reflex profile is as old as the earliest aircraft. A century ago, designers started using an airfoil with the trailing edge curved up to increase the safety and stability of early aircraft. When the first paragliders came along in the late seventies and eighties, a reflex profile wasn't the obvious choice because it meant increased sink over other airfoil shapes. Early pilots just wanted to stay airborne.
