Achieving good airfoil performance at low Reynolds number presents significant challenges, as boundary layers tend to remain laminar and thus are highly susceptible to flow separation – leading to reduced lift, increased drag and sudden stall. Laminar separation bubbles (LSBs) play a critical role in this regime. An LSB forms when flow separates from the airfoil surface, transitions to turbulence and reattaches downstream, partially recovering performance. However, this leaves the flow in an unstable configuration, as even slight changes in the environment or operating conditions can lead to the LSB ‘bursting’ and the sudden onset of stall.