NASA Langley Supports Successful OpenVSP Workshop at Seattle’s Museum of Flight

Members of the Aeronautics Systems Analysis Branch (ASAB), part of the Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate (SACD) at NASA’s Langley Research Center, played a key role in the successful execution of the 2024 OpenVSP Workshop, held at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington, Aug. 13-15. The workshop brought together aircraft-design experts and enthusiasts from government, academia, and industry to explore the latest advancements in the Open Vehicle Sketch Pad (OpenVSP), a NASA-created and Department of Defense-supported parametric geometry design and analysis tool.

Organized by ASAB’s Brandon Litherland, alongside Rob McDonald (consultant) and Brent Robbins (Boeing), the event featured a comprehensive agenda filled with presentations, hands-on demonstrations, and networking opportunities.

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Litherland, who has been a significant contributor to the OpenVSP community since he first attended a workshop in 2015, reflected on the event’s growth over time. “We had a relatively large turnout this year compared to prior workshops, with roughly 60 to 70 people in the room each day,” Litherland noted. “We also had greater industry attendance than I’ve seen at any previous workshop. This is an important development which demonstrates a growing awareness of OpenVSP throughout the world as the go-to conceptual parametric geometry modeling engine for aircraft design.”

Litherland also remarked on the evolution of the workshop’s technical content. “In the last several years, we have moved from short, proof-of-concept demonstrations to real-world, research-driven applications of the software in production,” he said. “It’s amazing to see what everyone can do with OpenVSP’s vast capabilities today and what they’re dreaming about for tomorrow.”

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“It’s amazing to see what everyone can do with OpenVSP’s vast capabilities today and what they’re dreaming about for tomorrow.”

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Among the participants at this year’s workshop was aerospace engineer Robbie Taylor, who joined NASA and ASAB about a year ago. This was his first time OpenVSP workshop. “I wanted to learn more about both the tool itself and the people who work with it,” Taylor said. “I was impressed at the breadth of users, applications, and development efforts for the software. It was gratifying to meet and speak with people from across the industry who can work more effectively thanks to OpenVSP.”

In addition to representatives from NASA Langley, the workshop featured speakers from Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)/Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), M4 Engineering, Research in Flight, Syracuse University, Brigham Young University (BYU), Whisper Aero, and several independent consultants. Presentations covered a wide array of topics, including tutorials and “how-to” demonstrations, advanced modeling techniques, structural optimization, Multidisciplinary Design Analysis and Optimization (MDAO) integration methods, and demonstrations of aerodynamic and structural simulation tools.

One highlight was a presentation by ASAB’s Jason Welstead, who demonstrated the OpenVSP-to-CHARM automation process, showcasing the potential for seamless integration between different aeronautical design tools. “There were multiple engaging questions asked, and several people followed up with me at the end of the day to ask further questions,” Welstead recalled. “I was really happy with how the presentation went and the engagement that followed.”

Welstead’s colleague Brandon Sells, also relatively new to NASA, attended the workshop to learn more about OpenVSP’s integrations with specific programming languages and software engineering libraries. However, he came away with unexpected inspiration following the conversations he had during the workshop. “As designers, researchers, and technologists,” Sells observed, “we must be mindful of why and how we develop concepts and technology to make an impact rather than innovating for the sake of novelty.”

The event welcomed representatives from NASA Ames, ISAE-ENSMA Design Tech Center (France), the University of Dayton, Khalifa University, GE Aerospace, Boeing’s MDAO and Product Development groups, Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI), and many others. Attendees also included small businesses, startups, and independent consultants, reflecting the widespread interest in OpenVSP’s capabilities and potential applications.

ASAB’s participation in the workshop was funded under the Transformational Tools and Technologies (TTT) and Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology Projects, highlighting the importance of collaboration and innovation in advancing aeronautical design and analysis tools. “TTT supports the OpenVSP ecosystem as it is a critical piece of the aircraft conceptual design workflow throughout the agency, industry and academia,” explained Ben Phillips, the agency’s TTT MDAO tech lead. “TTT values the workshop as it is essential for information exchange among the diverse user base of the code.”