This page contains various programs that may prove useful to my design class students, and other aerodynamics and design students. These are mostly old-fashioned codes without graphical user interfaces. See the software review page for commercial codes with modern user interfaces. In some cases I have now added links to sites located elsewhere, where key codes are available. Some other useful online Java-based programs are available at www.engapplets.vt.edu. Comments or questions? Contact me at mason@aoe.vt.edu. Last modified: March 18, 2001.
This software is a BASIC program that implements the old Aerocal Pak #1, Basic Aerodynamic Relations. It has the NACA 1135 tables, Prandtl-Meyer angle and inverse, properties of oblique shocks, the Rayleigh/Fanno line table and the 1976 standard atmosphere. Originally written for a programmable calculator, the code is in QuickBASIC, and runs as is on a Mac with QuickBASIC. A one line change is required to run it on an IBM type PC. The file is standard ascii text.
This is an interactive FORTRAN program that allows the user to construct airfoils using the NACA 4 digit or modified 4 digit airfoil thickness distributions and the NACA 4 digit, 5 digit or 6- and 6A series camber lines. A variety of output options are available on the screen. It can also create a file for use as input to airfoil analysis programs. This file is in the so-called "Jameson format". The file is standard ascii text. It should run using any FORTRAN compiler.The theoretical description of the equations used is available as a pdf file which is actually an Appendix to my Applied Computational Aerodynamics Notes.
This is a FORTRAN program that allows the user to obtain (approximately) the NACA 6 digit or 6A digit airfoils. The program was written at NASA by Cuyler Brooks and Charles Ladson. It appears to be considered to be in the public domain. The file is standard ascii text. It should run using any FORTRAN compiler. The theoretical description of the equations for the camber lines is available as a pdf file which is actually an Appendix to my Applied Computational Aerodynamics Notes. The thickness distribution of these airfoils is not described by a single equation.
This software is a BASIC program that implements the old Aerocal Pak #2, Basic Geometry for Aerodynamics. I put it up for the little planform and wing analysis programs, which I find still find useful, although today they should be on a spreadsheet. It also generates the shapes for several of the classic bodies of revolution, and has the BASIC (original) version of the FORTRAN program FOILGEN given above for the NACA airfoils. Originally written for a programmable calculator, and then translated to Applesoft, the code is in QuickBASIC, and runs as is on a Mac with QuickBASIC. A one line change is required to run it on an IBM type PC. The file is standard ascii text. The theoretical description is available as a pdf file which is actually an Appendix to my Applied Computational Aerodynamics Notes.
These programs implement Nicolai's aircraft sizing algorithm in QuickBASIC. The first code, acsize, provides the size, while the second code, acsweep, covers a range of takeoff gross weights, showing the empty weight required and available. They should run on either Mac or IBM type PCs with QuickBASIC. Data values are set in the program, with the hope that the users will look at the code and see what is going on. The only modification to Nicolai's notation is a supersonic mission leg. The file is standard ascii text.
This is an interactive FORTRAN program that solves the classical Prandtl lifting line theory using the monoplane equation. The file is standard ascii text. It should run using any FORTRAN compiler.
This is a FORTRAN subroutine that can be used in other programs. It is the same routine used in Pak #1 above. The units are listed in the subroutine header. A sample main program is included to illustrate the use of the program, and it should run using any FORTRAN compiler.
This program can be used to estimate the basic friction drag of an airplane. It is from Mason's Applied Computational Aerodynamics Class, and the acrobat manual is App. D.5 of the class notes. It should run using any FORTRAN compiler. Along with the manual and code, a sample input and the resulting sample output are provided.
Computation of the induced drag of a single planar surface given the spanload distribution. You get a value of the span e as output. The coefficients of the assumed Fourier Series are computed using a Fast Fourier Transform. The program was written by Dave Ives, and used in numerous programs developed for the government by Grumman.
This program can be used to find the induced drag of a system of nonplanar lifting elements. It was written by Joel Grasmeyer. It has both design and analysis capabilities. This means that you either find the spanload required to obtain the minimum induced drag, or you can input a spanload and find the induced drag. The program also prints out the span efficiency factor e. This program does not give you the twist and camber required to generate the spanloads. Three FORTRAN programs are required and must be linked to run the program.
John Lamar's design program, modified to find the span e for two nonplanar lifting surfaces given the spanload on each surface. This is a more capable version of LIDRAG. This code also finds the wing camber and twist required to obtain this spanload at subsonic speeds. The code will also do an optimization analysis, finding the minimum trimmed drag and spanload required to achieve it.
This is a collection of codes that may be useful in aircraft conceptual design. There are two main components, a vortex lattice code to provide at least a rough estimate of the stability and control derivatives, and a spreadsheet to evaluate a design using specified aircraft characteristics. We also have codes that implement the methods of NASA TP 2907 to find the best way to trim the aircraft when you have multiple possibilities. This includes three surfaces, and two surfaces with thrust vectoring.
This is a code that can be used to estimate some of the key lateral directional stability and control derivatives for use in estimating aircraft characteristics. It is basically an implementation of the DATCOM method, with adjustments to match published B747 data. It should be used in place of lateral-directional estimates from Jacob Kay's code given above, which is on shakey theoretical grounds. It was developed by Joel Grasmeyer for the truss-braced wing project.
The camber line required to produce a specified chord load distribution is computed using the quasi-vortex lattice method by Prof. Lan of the University of Kansas. The method is valid for two dimensional incompressible flow, and is an original (and very simple) program.
John Lamar's two surface vortex lattice program, developed at NASA Langley. The program treats two lifting surfaces using up to 200 panels. Vortex flows are estimated using the leading edge suction analogy. This program was typed in from the NASA TN D, which contained the listing, by students in Applied Computational Aerodynamics nearly 10 years ago. John Lamar didn't have a copy of the code anymore. It has been modified to run in WATFOR, and to produce 80 column output.
VLM 4.997 is a NASA Langley Vortex Lattice Program which can handle four planforms and up to 400 panels. It is an extension and improvement of the two surface code discussed above. This is an Acrobat Manual only. If you want the code you need to contact NASA Langley. Our version is available for student use in the design lab.
XFOIL is an airfoil analysis and design program from Prof. Mark Drela at MIT. It is for essentially incompressible single element airfoils. However, it includes viscous effects, and can be used in an inverse mode, where the pressure distribution is input and the required geometry found. It runs on workstations and win32 PC systems. Some very good airfoil work has been done by design class students with this code.
Pablo is a subsonic airfoil analysis and design program. It comes from KTH, the Royal Institute of Technology, in Stockholm, Sweden. Christian Wauquiez wrote the program, and Professor Arthur Rizzi was his advisor. Pablo stands for "Potential flow around Airfoils with Boundary Layer coupled One-way". It is a MATLAB code, so you need to have MATLAB to run it. Eventually, this url will go away, and when it does, Prof. Rizzi has given us permission to put this up on our site at Virginia Tech.
TSFOIL2 provides a finite difference solution of the transonic small disturbance equation. It will run on my Mac with no problem. Some students have not been able to fit it on their PCs. The source code is provided as standard ascii text. The code was written by Earll Murman and co-workers, and includes wind tunnel wall effects. It originated at NASA Ames. It's very old, but appears to be in the public domain. The listing was included in a NASA CR which is referenced in the mini-manual provided here as a pdf file.
arrow is a code to compute the linear theory lift curve slope, aerodynamic center and drag due to lift of arrow wings at supersonic speed.
The best source of propulsion information and software is the site by Professor Jack Mattingly. He is a co-author of the AIAA Aircraft Engine Design book, and the software that goes with it. Various codes are available from him.
These programs allow the designer to assess the configuration against the landing gear requirements, and also the pavement thickness requirements. Finally, there is a code that will estimate the landing gear weight. The report and codes are available on a separate page that is accessible by looking at the html cover page for the report and software for MAD 96-09-01, "Landing Gear Integration in Aircraft Conceptual Design."
This program computes the takeoff distance, including the balanced field length. The program uses the method of Krenkel and Salzman. Two versions are available. The original FORTRAN program was written by Sean Lynn as an undergraduate research project. After some initial experience, a few improvements to the numerics were made by Pete MacMillin, who felt compelled to convert the code to c. For the test case, there is very little difference between the answers from the two different codes. The input files are also slightly different between the FORTRAN and c verisons. The basic theory is contained in Sean's final report, which is available as a pdf file.
Other codes to come.