What is RCAIDE?
RCAIDE is a powerful open-source Python platform that revolutionizes aircraft design and analysis. From commercial airliners to UAVs and next-generation hybrid-electric aircraft, RCAIDE provides comprehensive multi-disciplinary analysis tools backed by validated engineering methods. RCAIDE's streamlined workflow and modular architecture help aerospace engineers and researchers accelerate development cycles and explore innovative designs with confidence.
Seamless Transition from SUAVE to RCAIDE
RCAIDE is crafted to help SUAVE users effortlessly migrate their projects. Experience familiar workflows enhanced by RCAIDE's modern architecture, intuitive naming conventions, and expanded features.
Trusted by Leading Organizations
- Industry & Government: NASA, Boeing, AFRL, Embraer, Joby, Vahana, Argonne National Labs, Bombardier, Raytheon, BAE, Google
- Academia: MIT, Purdue, Embry-Riddle, Carnegie Mellon, Princeton, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Stanford, Cranfield, University of Sydney, TU Delft, IIT, University of Toronto, Concordia, ISAE
SUAVE Usage Statistics World Map
Capabilities of RCAIDE
RCAIDE currently possesses the ability to perform the following analyses, each at varying levels of fidelity. Here, we define fidelity as a level of accuracy to the actual physical value. As the level of fidelity increases, so does accuracy. However, this comes with the penalty of computational time and memory. Having multi-fidelity capability allows RCAIDE to perform energy network analysis, complete flight vehicle mission analysis, multi-fidelity optimization, design space exploration, artificial intelligence, and model-based systems engineering.
Boeing 737 Generated by RCAIDE
Boeing 737 Weight Breakdown
External Interfaces
RCAIDE currently supports two external packages, OpenVSP and AVL. Regarding the former, users can automatically generate OpenVSP geometry from RCAIDE and even read in geometry to perform mission simulations. RCAIDE's AVL interface enables the automatic generation of AVL files in addition to running AVL directly through the built-in python API. This allows the designers to focus on design and analysis. Currently, the development team is working on an API for SU2, a high-fidelity CFD solver. This capability was a feature of SUAVE, and we want to bring it back for new RCAIDE users.
Sponsors
Verification & Validation
Coming Soon
Release Notes
Coming Soon