aerosandbox.geometry.airplane#

Module Contents#

Classes#

Airplane

Definition for an airplane.

Functions#

ft(feet[, inches])

class aerosandbox.geometry.airplane.Airplane(name=None, xyz_ref=None, wings=None, fuselages=None, propulsors=None, s_ref=None, c_ref=None, b_ref=None, analysis_specific_options=None)[source]#

Bases: aerosandbox.AeroSandboxObject

Definition for an airplane.

Anatomy of an Airplane:

An Airplane consists chiefly of a collection of wings and fuselages. These can be accessed with Airplane.wings and Airplane.fuselages, which gives a list of those respective components. Each wing is a Wing object, and each fuselage is a Fuselage object.

Parameters:
__repr__()[source]#

Return repr(self).

mesh_body(method='quad', thin_wings=False, stack_meshes=True)[source]#

Returns a surface mesh of the Airplane, in (points, faces) format. For reference on this format, see the documentation in aerosandbox.geometry.mesh_utilities.

Parameters:

  • method –

  • thin_wings – Controls whether wings should be meshed as thin surfaces, rather than full 3D bodies.

  • stack_meshes –

    Controls whether the meshes should be merged into a single mesh or not.

    • If True, returns a (points, faces) tuple in standard mesh format.

    • If False, returns a list of (points, faces) tuples in standard mesh format.

Returns:

draw(backend='pyvista', thin_wings=False, ax=None, use_preset_view_angle=None, set_background_pane_color=None, set_background_pane_alpha=None, set_lims=True, set_equal=True, set_axis_visibility=None, show=True, show_kwargs=None)[source]#

Produces an interactive 3D visualization of the airplane.

Parameters:

  • backend (str) –

    The visualization backend to use. Options are:

    • ”matplotlib” for a Matplotlib backend

    • ”pyvista” for a PyVista backend

    • ”plotly” for a Plot.ly backend

    • ”trimesh” for a trimesh backend

  • thin_wings (bool) – A boolean that determines whether to draw the full airplane (i.e. thickened, 3D bodies), or to use a

  • objects. (thin-surface representation for any Wing) –

  • show (bool) – A boolean that determines whether to display the object after plotting it. If False, the object is

  • True (returned but not displayed. If) –

  • returned. (the object is displayed and) –

  • use_preset_view_angle (str) –

  • set_background_pane_color (Union[str, Tuple[float, float, float]]) –

  • set_background_pane_alpha (float) –

  • set_lims (bool) –

  • set_equal (bool) –

  • set_axis_visibility (bool) –

  • show_kwargs (Dict) –

Returns: The plotted object, in its associated backend format. Also displays the object if show is True.

draw_wireframe(ax=None, color='k', thin_linewidth=0.2, thick_linewidth=0.5, fuselage_longeron_theta=None, use_preset_view_angle=None, set_background_pane_color=None, set_background_pane_alpha=None, set_lims=True, set_equal=True, set_axis_visibility=None, show=True)[source]#

Draws a wireframe of the airplane on a Matplotlib 3D axis.

Parameters:

  • ax – The axis to draw on. Must be a 3D axis. If None, creates a new axis.

  • color – The color of the wireframe.

  • thin_linewidth – The linewidth of the thin lines.

  • use_preset_view_angle (str) –

  • set_background_pane_color (Union[str, Tuple[float, float, float]]) –

  • set_background_pane_alpha (float) –

  • set_lims (bool) –

  • set_equal (bool) –

  • set_axis_visibility (bool) –

  • show (bool) –

draw_three_view(style='shaded', show=True)[source]#

Draws a standard 4-panel three-view diagram of the airplane using Matplotlib backend. Creates a new figure.

Parameters:

  • style (str) –

    Determines what drawing style to use for the three-view. A string, one of:

    • ”shaded”

    • ”wireframe”

  • show (bool) – A boolean of whether to show the figure after creating it, or to hold it so that the user can modify the figure further before showing.

Returns:

is_entirely_symmetric()[source]#

Returns a boolean describing whether the airplane is geometrically entirely symmetric across the XZ-plane. :return: [boolean]

aerodynamic_center(chord_fraction=0.25)[source]#

Computes the approximate location of the aerodynamic center of the wing. Uses the generalized methodology described here:

Parameters:

  • chord_fraction (float) – The position of the aerodynamic center along the MAC, as a fraction of MAC length.

  • Typically (denoted h_0 in the literature) –

  • value (this) –

  • Cook (wing-fuselage interactions can cause a forward shift to a value more like 0.1 or less. Citing) –

:param : :param Michael V.: :param “Flight Dynamics Principles”: :param 3rd Ed.: :param Sect. 3.5.3 “Controls-fixed static stability”. PDF: :param https: //www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780080982427000031

Returns: The (x, y, z) coordinates of the aerodynamic center of the airplane.

with_control_deflections(control_surface_deflection_mappings)[source]#

Returns a copy of the airplane with the specified control surface deflections applied.

Parameters:

control_surface_deflection_mappings (Dict[str, float]) –

A dictionary mapping control surface names to deflections.

  • Keys: Control surface names.

  • Values: Deflections, in degrees. Downwards-positive, following typical convention.

Return type:

Airplane

Returns: A copy of the airplane with the specified control surface deflections applied.

generate_cadquery_geometry(minimum_airfoil_TE_thickness=0.001, fuselage_tol=0.0001)[source]#

Uses the CADQuery library (OpenCASCADE backend) to generate a 3D CAD model of the airplane.

Parameters:

  • minimum_airfoil_TE_thickness (float) – The minimum thickness of the trailing edge of the airfoils, as a fraction

  • if (of each airfoil's chord. This will be enforced by thickening the trailing edge of the airfoils) –

  • extremely (necessary. This is useful for avoiding numerical issues in CAD software that can arise from) –

  • thin (i.e., <1e-6 meters) –

  • tol – The geometric tolerance (meters) to use when generating the CAD geometry. This is passed directly to the CADQuery

  • fuselage_tol (float) –

Return type:

Workplane

Returns: A CADQuery Workplane object containing the CAD geometry of the airplane.

export_cadquery_geometry(filename, minimum_airfoil_TE_thickness=0.001)[source]#

Exports the airplane geometry to a STEP file.

Parameters:

  • filename (Union[pathlib.Path, str]) – The filename to export to. Should include the “.step” extension.

  • minimum_airfoil_TE_thickness (float) – The minimum thickness of the trailing edge of the airfoils, as a fraction

  • if (of each airfoil's chord. This will be enforced by thickening the trailing edge of the airfoils) –

  • extremely (necessary. This is useful for avoiding numerical issues in CAD software that can arise from) –

  • thin (i.e., <1e-6 meters) –

Return type:

None

Returns: None, but exports the airplane geometry to a STEP file.

export_AVL(filename, include_fuselages=True)[source]#
Parameters:

include_fuselages (bool) –

export_XFLR(*args, **kwargs)[source]#
Return type:

str

export_XFLR5_xml(filename, mass_props=None, include_fuselages=False, mainwing=None, elevator=None, fin=None)[source]#

Exports the airplane geometry to an XFLR5 .xml file. To import the .xml file into XFLR5, go to File -> Import -> Import from XML.

Parameters:

  • filename (Union[pathlib.Path, str]) – The filename to export to. Should include the “.xml” extension.

  • mass_props (aerosandbox.weights.mass_properties.MassProperties) –

    The MassProperties object to use when exporting the airplane. If not specified, will default to a 1 kg point mass at the origin.

    • Note: XFLR5 does not natively support user-defined inertia tensors, so we have to synthesize an equivalent

    set of point masses to represent the inertia tensor.

  • include_fuselages (bool) – Whether to include fuselages in the export.

  • mainwing (aerosandbox.geometry.wing.Wing) – The main wing of the airplane. If not specified, will default to the first wing in the airplane.

  • elevator (aerosandbox.geometry.wing.Wing) – The elevator of the airplane. If not specified, will default to the second wing in the airplane.

  • fin (aerosandbox.geometry.wing.Wing) – The fin of the airplane. If not specified, will default to the third wing in the airplane.

Return type:

str

Returns: None, but exports the airplane geometry to an XFLR5 .xml file.

To import the .xml file into XFLR5, go to File -> Import -> Import from XML.

export_OpenVSP_vspscript(filename)[source]#

Exports the airplane geometry to a *.vspscript file compatible with OpenVSP. To import the .vspscript file into OpenVSP:

Open OpenVSP, then File -> Run Script -> Select the .vspscript file.

Parameters:

filename (Union[pathlib.Path, str]) – The filename to export to, given as a string or Path. Should include the “.vspscript” extension.

Return type:

str

Returns: A string of the file contents, and also saves the file to the specified filename

aerosandbox.geometry.airplane.ft(feet, inches=0)[source]#