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Aircraft simulation software

Subject: Aircraft simulation software
From: Tom Sanderson <tdscanuck@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2006 10:06:25 -0800
Newsgroups: sci.aeronautics
> Can anyone suggest aerodynamics simulation software that will allow me
> to simulate the entire aircraft (and not just airfoil) including
> fuselage, wings, tail, canards, etc.  In essence, I want to design a
> 3-D aircraft using this tool and then simulate it's flight dynamics
> to see if it is air-worthy.

There are empiricle and analytical formulas that can do a lot of this type 
of work for you without getting bogged down in 3D design...any good textbook 
on aircraft design will give you enough to get started with initial 
parameters (wing planform, airfoil, dihedral, tail volume, weight, thrust, 
etc.).

FYI, "airworthy" is a legal term.  An aircraft is airworthy (in the US) if 
it meets all the federal aviation regulations.  I think what you mean is, 
"see if it will fly."  No software has been created yet that can determine 
airworthiness.

There's a lot of useful one-off programs here:
http://www.aoe.vt.edu/~mason/Mason_f/MRsoft.html

And, though I've never used it, for initial work, this seems to be like what 
you're looking for:
http://www.aircraftdesign.com/rds.html

Tom. 



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