OpenVSP Smart Conceptual Design Tool Improvements, Including Inboard Profile Visualization

Recent advancements to NASA's Vehicle Sketch Pad (OpenVSP 3.0) have evolved the software into a useful parametric graphics tool for serious aerospace design and analysis. The proposed effort will build off of the momentum gained from these advancements by providing a selection of features that complement the newly available capabilities. Primarily, the work will improve OpenVSP's ability to rapidly create well defined configurations. New visualization options will be added to support the creation of inboard profiles. Meanwhile, a library of pre-defined components will be established for quick selection of common aircraft parts, subsystems and payloads. The capability to link the parameters that define each component will be enhanced to enable nonlinear, multivariate functions, and a pre-defined library of common relationships will be established. Finally, a moderate fidelity parasite drag build-up tool that utilizes the new degenerate geometry feature will be created and integrated into OpenVSP for seamless trade studies. This collection of features represents a small list of low-cost, high-reward tasks that can greatly improve the tool's utility in the conceptual and preliminary design phases. By keeping the software open source, OpenVSP 3.0 and the proposed upgrades will serve as an industry-wide standard parametric geometry tool.