Trade.Information

Product Name: Aircraft Performance Software

Product Description

MSAFlightTM is an interactive Windows software package for aircraft performance and flight analysis. MSAFlight reads in aircraft designs created using MultiSurface Aerodynamics/MSA (8S) and computes the flight trajectory and other performance related results. MSA Flight performs the following calculations using files created in MultiSurface Aerodynamics: Compute lift, total drag (vortex & profile) and moments. Compute stability derivatives for your custom layout and airfoil shapes. Automatically compute d(Cl)/d(alpha), d(Cm)/d(alpha) and neutral point. Compute trim angle of attack and minimum sink rate. Determine other derivatives (for example d(Cl)/d(delta) ) from subsequent computations. Study tail downwash angle due to the wing or wing downwash due to a canard. Graph trajectory of your aircraft from custom initial conditions. Study launch, takeoff and other maneuvers. Determine range and endurance. Simulate trajectory with wind effects (head /tail wind or thermals). Analyze takeoff (with ground effect) analysis. Analyze water craft such as WIGs (the software solves for ground effect). MSAFlight uses an interface similar to MultiSurface Aerodynamics to modify your designs and then mate the results with a trajectory algorithm. Using the Vortex Lattice Method, the software is able to compute the angle of trim from the center of gravity location. The trajectory calculations assume that the aircraft remains in the trim configuration throughout the flight (maintaining its launch angle of attack and aerodynamic coefficients). The flight conditions can be changed mid-flight by specifying a stop time (or location) and then adjusting the aerodynamics. The aircraft can then be launched again using the previous flight parameters as initial conditions (this simulates, to some degree, control of the flight). The trajectory computed by MSAFlight is two-dimensional. The user can specify launch angle, launch speed, wind speed and direction, aircraft weight and the acceleration due to gravity (conditions on Mars can be simulated). The program will plot the altitude vs range, altitude vs time, range vs time, speed vs time and it will also give the final distance and total flight time. Preliminary results show that aircraft will perform loops if launched at a high speed or has too high a lift coefficient. Your aircraft will travel different distances or speeds depending on the choice of airfoils, total weight and control surface settings. It is quite important to design a stable aircraft to have good outcomes. This means that the neutral points should be in the correct position with respect to the center of gravity, flying wings should have the correct flap position (or airfoil shapes / sweep angles) and the horizontal tails should provide the correct restoring moments. MSAFlight is useful for designing and analyzing UAVs, Light Aircraft, parafoils, sailplanes, hand-launched gliders and free-flight gliders. By simulating the trajectory, the designer can immediately approximate a few minutes of flight and improve their design (if necessary). Computer Requirements MSAFlight requires a PC running Windows 95 or Later and a connection to the internet. It also requires MultiSurface Aerodynamics to create the input file.