To date, the results of Dr. McDonald's NRA efforts have culminated in the release of OpenVSP 3.0 in 2015. This capability is ?open? in the sense that it can be downloaded, free of charge, for use from the OpenVSP website (www.openvsp.org). Therefore, the commercialization strategy for this effort is straightforward. There is a significant need in NASA for geometric aircraft conceptual design tools such as this, especially ones that consider unique geometries. The ESAero team proposing this work is in a unique position because the addition of Dr. Rob McDonald and Dr. David Marshall to ESAero and a subcontractor, J.R. Gloudemans, all brought on to support OpenVSP development under the AFRL Phase II SBIR, are critical to the best path for immediate commercialization and use. Providing these much needed improvements in an open format is beneficial to the entire industry, but especially NASA. In the current budget environment, there isn?t much money available for those users to purchase additional tools. ESAero knows this from direct experience with their hybrid-electric tool development in MATLAB; NASA customers have had trouble obtaining MATLAB licenses, which are very modestly priced. All funding awarded during this effort will be put towards improving OpenVSP 3.0 and associated tools to meet the integrated workflow for quantitative assessment of handling qualities objectives; no licensing fees are required or foreseen at this time.
The results of this effort can also be added and taught to the user community at the OpenVSP workshop, which takes place every year in August. ESAero agrees to provide the updates to OpenVSP 3.0 proposed here in an open format to benefit the user community, aerospace industry and especially the government customer. Previous versions of this tool are already in use at NASA, the Air Force, industry, including Boeing Research & Technology, and multiple aerospace universities (Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, MIT, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, etc.), as it has been downloaded thousands of times. The items proposed here also help meet the desires of the AFRL Aerospace Systems Directorate (specifically RQVA). OpenVSP improvements and associated tools are intended to further develop and progress the vehicle analysis and design capability within AFRL which in turn supports contracted development efforts. Such tools and improvements proposed here could have a direct involvement with future programs of record, including 6th generation fighter (F-X), Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B), and next generation trainer (T-X). This ?openness? leads to industry and government engaging ESAero and the team, as the partial developers, for support, tool modifications, or just outright engagement to exercise the tool on a customer?s behalf. This Phase I effort will only solidify the ESAero team?s expertise in the conceptual design discipline, broadening the companies reach and bringing in new customers.
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