RE: [Jsbsim-devel] Aerodynamics database

[Jon B. <js...@ha...>]

> As such I'd like some input on what you'd find useful in such a tool.
> Presently it can store FDM-specific info as files, but that provides none
> of the benefits of having it inside an RDBMS. The goal I'm trying to work
> towards is to have a dual-use system, high level equipment information for
> casual users and those checking capabilities, etc., and detailed aero
> information for those working on FDMs. This aero data would not be FDM
> specific and as close to reality as we can get. My hope is that people can
> plug in values and use them as a reference when creating
> simulator-specific FDMs, which can also be stored in the database as
> files. What exactly those values are, I'm not sure yet.

David:

In order to reduce the amount of (ultimately unnecessary) data, you might
consider keeping only data that is needed to produce an model - not the end
data itself.  Mass properties data (empty weight), tank locations, fuel
capacities of those tanks, and all geometric information, would be a good
starter set, as well as _basic_ aero values such as minimum drag coefficient
(if available), and also performance data, particularly as it relates to
flight envelope conditions.  Geometric and performance data can be used to
build YASim aircraft, and it can also serve as input data for DATCOM so we
(JSBSim) can directly gain aero tables.

Also (very important) a section for technical papers to be referenced would
be good.  There are a huge number of current and historical technical papers
online (I have the entire set of NACA, Langley, and Dryden reports) that
contain hard aero data on many aircraft.

Will you be allowing registration of co-custodians who will be able to enter
information as it is found? I would like to have this access, myself, as I
regularly find information that would be very good to have online.  In case
you will be allowing careful R/W access to the DB, I suggest also then (and
you probably already have this covered) that you have a field telling where
(who) information came from.

Jon