From a vehicle configuration, we can estimate important longitudinal and lateral aerodynamic forces and moments on a vehicle. These can be combined with stall and compressibility models to rapidly produce a full aerodynamic database for trim analysis, vehicle performance estimates, and full 6 DoF flight simulation.

We employ panel methods with and without boundary-layer integration, as well as a numerical lifting-line algorithm to rapidly estimate aerodynamic properties and lifting-surface interactions on a vehicle. Our tools can be scripted to produce large datasets that can later be interpolated or fit for a wide range of vehicle analyses and performance metrics.

For projects requiring the most accurate aerodynamic estimates, we employ open-source and commercial CFD tools. Although these simulations often take the most time to complete, they can provide significant insight into Reynolds number effects, vortex interactions, flow visualization, and overall vehicle performance that cannot be obtained any other way.