Need help finding aircraft sizing software?

[stealthxxy]

Hey guys,

I'm looking for some software capable of allowing the user to input a specific mission profile and ultimately calculating empty weight and fuel weights providing input such as your L/D, cruise altitude, AR, Swet, Sref, ect. I'd even be interested in more advanced programs with the capability of implementing your design sketches and doing all the above calculations with a few clicks of a button. Any help/advice is well appreciated!

 

[JaredJames]

There isn't such a piece of software. That is why you have aerospace engineers.

If you have a design, there are pieces of software that could do some of the work for you an give estimates.

But there are no pieces of software that you could input "I want to fly from London to New York" and it would design an aircraft for you.

 

[aeroguy77]

Hey, this is stealthxxy (apparently there were a few mix ups due to multiple accounts, sorry about the inconvenience). Jarednjames, let me be more specific. I have already sketched multiple aircraft for specific design requirements. From these requirements, I calculated wetted areas, reference areas, L/D's, specific fuel consumptions, cruising altitudes ect. What I'm looking for is a program that could allow me to incorporate a mission profile (take off, climb, cruise, loiter, divergence ect.) and easily calculate my empty weight and fuel weight so I wouldn't have to do the iterations by hand and therefore pick a suitable design candidate in a reduced amount of time. If indeed, no such program exists, then could you point me towards some programs that do make rough estimates for you in other areas of aerospace design.

 

[boneh3ad]

Just write a MATLAB script to iterate for you then. If you can do UT once by hand, MATLAB (or another language) can do it a zillion times.

 

[alphy]

I would recommend looking into aircraft sizing software such as OpenVSP or XFLR5. These programs allow users to input specific mission profiles and design parameters, and then calculate important metrics such as empty weight and fuel weights. They also have more advanced features, such as the ability to import design sketches and perform complex calculations with ease. I suggest researching these options and determining which one best fits your needs and budget. Additionally, reaching out to other scientists or engineers in the field may provide valuable insights and recommendations for aircraft sizing software.