This study investigates the aerodynamic behaviour of two-dimensional rigid leading-edge inflatable (LEI) airfoils through experiments in TU Delft’s Low Turbulence Tunnel and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Lift and drag coefficients were measured for two steel scale models at Reynolds numbers of 5×10⁵ and 10⁶ and angles of attack between −10° and 25°. Corrections were applied for wall and wake-rake effects, and transition behaviour was analysed using infrared imaging and oil flow visualization. CFD simulations using OpenFOAM with the k–ω and 𝛾 − R̃e𝜃t models were compared to the experimental data. Fully turbulent CFD results showed the best agreement with measurements, while transition models performed inconsistently. Infrared and oil-flow data revealed fixed or moving transition zones, corner eddies, and a laminar separation bubble. This work provides the first dedicated experimental dataset for rigid LEI airfoils and validates CFD toolchains for future aerodynamic analysis of soft-wing kites.